Order of Time
by JuptileNamudori253
Summary: While visiting a small town, Dawn finds a mysterious man unconscious a the beach. Watch how she, along with her guildmates, go on wild adventures together, uncovering secrets along the way. Mystery Dungeon AU, with a few crossover elements (but not crossover!) Rated T to be safe.
1. The Awakening

"Please, you have to hold on!"

"...I- I can't..."

"Don't let go!"

"It's the end for me.."

"I can't lose you too!"

"I won't be truly gone, as long as you remember me."

"Please, just hold on!"

"...I'm sorry, but you have to let go. Farewell..."

"No... NOOOO!"

The storm raged on, the rain pouring harder in grief. A figure is seen falling from a dangerous cliffside and onto the rocks below.

"I will never forget you."

* * *

**A/N:** If you recognise which game this comes from, you can see the irony of the situation. Welcome to my new fanfic! This is my next project after PMD:EDL, which is yet another Mystery Dungeon game. So enjoy~!

* * *

_Sometimes it's hard to know,_

_Where you are supposed to go;_

_Where you belong, where you fit in,_

_Where you can bring out the you within!_

_But know, that with your friends,_

_Your adventures never end!_

_Yeah, deep inside, you know you're strong,_

_If you follow your heart, you can't go wrong!_

_Stand up! For all that is right,_

_Be brave! Prepare to fight for the light,_

_Hold on! We're friends for life,_

_And if we come together as one,_

_To claim what's ours, to right what's done,_

_Hand in hand, we will stay strong,_

_Complete the quest that we've begun,_

_We will win the battle,_

_Our lifelong battle!_

_Pokémon!_

* * *

**The Order of Time**

**Episode 1:** _The Awakening_

* * *

**Masara Town**

"Here we are, the beautiful Masara Town!" a young woman exclaimed as her blue hair flew in the wind. On a nearby bike sat a small yellow mouse, the two admiring the rustic farm village with different kinds of fruit trees all around. It was a small town, connected to the northern Viridia with a small road, which the duo have travelled on.

"I heard it was beautiful in the spring, but this is absolutely gorgeous!" This is Dawn Berlitz, an early teenage girl, with her partner Yellow, a Pikachu. One can see a yellow gear tattoo on her right hand and in the Pikachu's tail.

"So where should we go first, Yellow?" Dawn asked her small partner.

"Do I have a choice?" the mouse Pokémon deadpanned. Dawn sweatdropped.

"Then to the stores it is!" the bluenette exclaimed after regaining her composure, getting on her bike and pedalling downtown.

* * *

**Masara Beach**

"I can't believe the stores sell Luminous Orbs that expensive," Dawn huffed as she walked away from Masara Town, placing her bike in a stand as she entered the peaceful beach.

"Wow, so many Krabby!" Dozens of Krabby were sitting side by side, blowing bubbles into the sunset sky. "So peaceful, it makes one forget about all her worries!"

"Hey, what's that?" Yellow remarked. Dawn gazed away from the beautiful sky to the crashing waves, slowly rising and falling back. The coastline seems to go on forever...

"I-It's a person!" Dawn exclaimed.

* * *

**?'s POV**

_...Where am I?_

_...Who am I?_

_...Am I dead?_

_...I feel a pleasant breeze..._

"Are you okay, sir?"

* * *

**3rd POV**

"Are you okay, sir?" Dawn asked the man who looked a little older than Dawn. He wore a worn out cloak and had raven black hair. But the most interesting thing about him is his cyan blue eyes, shining with power but filled with uncertainty.

"Where am I?" the raven looked about nervously, not seeming to remember anything. "Who are you?"

"Oh, I'm Dawn Berlitz, and this is my friend Yellow!" the bluenette replied happily. "So who are you?"

"I'm..." the man began, but then trailed off. "I don't remember," he admitted solemnly.

"Really!? That's sad," Dawn said worriedly. "So, we'll just have to give you a name! Let's see... You have black hair, black as ash... There, Ash! We'll call you Ash," she exclaimed.

"Okay..." the now called Ash replied.

"So do you have a Pokémon, like those you keep in an Aprikorn?" Dawn asked after Ash recovered enough strength from her healing spell.

"Like me!" Yellow exclaimed.

"Apparently not," Ash remarked, looking around for any other Pokémon besides Yellow and the Krabby.

"Then I guess we'll just have to give you one at the guild," Dawn declared, and then dragged Ash into town. "Let's get something to eat!"

* * *

**Masara Town**

Dawn knew that Ash was hungry, but she didn't know he was that hungry.

"Hey, slow down! You're wolfing everything down too fast!" Dawn exclaimed comically as Ash continued eating.

"So," Ash asked after he finished eating. "What are guilds?"

"Well, guilds are organizations where trainers and Pokémon help each other do tasks and jobs," Dawn replied matter-of-factly. "They can also be considered schools where trainers can hone their skills until the team is fit to go solo. I'm actually here for a certain job, I'm just looking for the client!"

"I think around this time it's the client that's looking for you," Ash remarked as he wolfed down his second serving. Dawn and Yellow sweatdropped.

"There you are!" an old lady exclaimed, looking at the bluenette angrily. "I've been searching the entire Masara for you, young lady! I thought you were going to heed my job request!"

"I'm so sorry ma'am!" Dawn bowed in apology. "We'll accomplish your request this instant!"

"How about the food?" Ash asked.

"You continue eating, I can handle this!" Dawn replied hurriedly as the two dashed off.

"Hey wait for me!" Ash exclaimed, finishing what was left on Yellow's plate and following Dawn.

"Kids these days..." the old woman muttered.

* * *

**Masara Woods**

"So where's this 'monster' we need to find?" Yellow asked Dawn as the two traversed through the dark woods.

"According to the old lady, the monster likes to hide in the trees and scare people," Dawn replied, unmounting her bike and placing it in a corner.

"Like this?" Ash suddenly appeared from behind Dawn, making her freeze in fright. "Gotcha~"

"Hey!" Dawn complained in an annoyed fashion. "Don't jump on us like that! It was scary!"

"Sorry," Ash replied sheepishly.

"Seriously, don't do that," Yellow replied, but was suddenly shushed. "But-" he was shushed again.

"Do you hear that?" Ash asked no one in particular as he prepared a glowing blue sphere. "Something's there," he declared as he heard a rustle in the foliage. He then threw the blue ball of light towards the trees, and at the same time a green Pokémon batted it away with its tail, but not without taking damage. It then landed on the ground without sound.

"A Treecko!" Ash exclaimed.

* * *

**A/N:** So Chapter 1 ends! Just like what one would expect, I gave Ash a Treecko , however, you will have the chance to decide Ash and Dawn's next Pokémon~ Please review, and nonconstructive flames will burn in Mt. Cinnabar.

_to be continued..._


	2. The Raven and the Gecko

"A Treecko!" Ash deduced, staring at the wood gecko, who had a mischievious glint in his eye.

"Haha, almost got 'ya!" the Treecko laughed, making Dawn puff up in anger.

"Hey, that's not nice!" the bluenette exclaimed.

"Don't worry, I do this to everyone, not only kids with blue hair~" the gecko said cooly.

"So you're the one who plays tricks on the locals of Masara!" Dawn shouted.

"So what?" Treecko asked. "They're naïve to think I'm a monster, as you can see my hobby is fooling blockheads like them and you~"

"Why you-" Dawn puffed up in anger, but was stopped by Ash.

"Don't get too angry, its bad for your health," Ash told Dawn. "You've got spunk, I must say," the raven remarked. "Now you battle me!" he exclaimed, preparing another blue sphere.

"An Aura User? Now this is a challenge!" Treecko smirked, spinning his tail. "Let's not keep the audience waiting, let the fight begin!"

* * *

**A/N:** Poor Dawn. Not much to say, so let's go on with the story~

**Black n White:** uhh yeah... (but best not to talk about it or else you might find yourself facing an angry mob xaxaxa)

* * *

_Sometimes it's hard to know,_

_Where you are supposed to go;_

_Where you belong, where you fit in,_

_Where you can bring out the you within!_

_But know, that with your friends,_

_Your adventures never end!_

_Yeah, deep inside, you know you're strong,_

_If you follow your heart, you can't go wrong!_

_Stand up! For all that is right,_

_Be brave! Prepare to fight for the light,_

_Hold on! We're friends for life,_

_And if we come together as one,_

_To claim what's ours, to right what's done,_

_Hand in hand, we will stay strong,_

_Complete the quest that we've begun,_

_We will win the battle,_

_Our lifelong battle!_

_Pokémon!_

* * *

**The Order of Time**

**Episode 2: **The Raven and the Gecko

* * *

The Treecko jumped into the air and prepared a Pound attack. Ash dodged the attack with ease and unleashed an Aura Missile, which followed Treecko in spite of its dodge. Treecko then jumped into the trees, camouflaging itself in the foliage.

"That won't help you," Ash smirked, then closed his eyes, scanning the area. "Found you," he exclaimed, then launched himself to the hiding gecko. The raven and the gecko then exchanged Close Combat attacks, each trying to find an opening in the other.

In addition, a flurry of stray Aura Spheres and Razor Leaves were flying about the area. Most hit either the dense trees, the grassy ground, or flew into the leaf-covered sky. One of the spheres in particular hit Dawn's bike and fried it.

"My bike!" Dawn cried, looking at her crispy bicycle with teary eyes.

The fight continued for a while, until Ash called out to the bluenette. "Hey Dawn, can I borrow an Aprikorn?" the raven asked loudly.

"Umm, why?" Dawn asked in reply.

"I just need one," Ash answered. "Please? I my Substitute won't keep Treecko distracted for long."

"Well, okay," Dawn answered blankly, throwing an Aprikorn in Ash's direction.

"Thanks," Ash answered back, catching the Aprikorn from a faraway distance. He then returned to the battlefield, where his opponent just realised he was fighting a substitute. The gecko then growled at the raven, and noticed the Pokémon-capturing device.

"What will ya do with that?" the Treecko asked, staring at the Aprikorn.

"Well, I was planning to throw it to you, but I can always ask you to join us," Ash replied.

"What!?" the gecko exclaimed, surprised at the raven's intentions. "What do you mean by that, human?"

"I know I am your first real opponent, and I'm sure you won't find any other person or Pokémon as good as you here; I can sense it in your vigor," Ash explained. "But if you join us in our travels, you'll be able to meet many stronger folks, maybe even get stronger yourself. And maybe play more pranks on Dawn along the way. So what do you say?"

The Treecko thought for a while, and finally came to a conclusion.

"You think I would join you just like that?" he asked the raven. He then leapt and swung his tail at Ash, who shielded his body using his arms. But instead of aiming for him, Treecko aimed for his Aprikorn. The gecko was then enveloped in a red light. Two pings, and Treecko was caught.

"I guess that's a yes," Ash remarked, then released the Treecko from the Aprikorn.

"Welcome to the team," Ash smiled, offering a handshake. Treecko accepted the handshake, and climbed on Ash's shoulder as he did a pose. "I caught a Treecko!"

* * *

"You CAUGHT it?" Dawn asked exasperatedly after Ash and Treecko descended from the trees.

"Yes, why not?" Ash asked questioningly.

"Plus, it's fun annoying you~" the gecko added, earning a glare from Dawn.

"He's right, you know," Yellow remarked. "It's quite easy to get on your nerves."

"Why am I always stuck in these situations?" Dawn cried. "There is always something bad that happens to me, like that... thing!" she added, pointing angrily at the Treecko, who pulled his tongue out in retaliation.

"Not to mention your bike," Ash added, making Dawn even more sad.

"Wait a minute, why are you still following me? And how did you do those things you did awhileago?" Dawn asked suspiciously.

"I never thanked you for the food, and as for the other question, I don't know actually," Ash replied, scratching his head sheepishly. "Besides, since I can't remember anything about my past, I might as well join you in your quests."

"Well, okay then," Dawn sweatdropped. "So you have to register your names in our guild, both of you! But I warn you, it will be hard!"

"Then we'll do that once we get out of this forest," Ash replied, unfazed by Dawn's warning. "Speaking of names, what's your name, Treecko? I can't always call you Treecko," he then questioned.

"Well the locals always thought I was a kobold, well it's quite accurate, considering what I do~" the gecko remarked gleefully, sadism evident in his eyes.

"Okay, so I'll call you Kobold from now on, welcome to the team, Kobold!" Ash replied.

"Thanks," Kobold smiled, looking at a pathway and snickering.

_This will take a while..._

* * *

**A/N:** And that's the end of Chapter 2! And yes, Kobold will be annoying Dawn until the end of the story. Please review, and nonconstructive flames will be put out with a Hydro Pump. (_flames _that _have no reason_, not random stuff, so please don't be afraid to review~)

_to be continued..._


	3. The Order

"I think we're lost," Ash remarked as Dawn and Yellow tried to navigate their way through the forest.

"You know, we missed the route to the exit a few forks back~" Kobold remarked.

"Then why didn't you SAY so!?" Dawn complained.

"Because you wouldn't listen, too focused on your 'map'." Kobold answered.

"B-but maps are never wrong!" Dawn retorted.

"True, but..." Yellow added, looking at the map. "The map is upside-down."

Everyone fell down comically, with Dawn accidentally falling on a wing.

"How DARE YOU!" a Spearow cawed from behind a bush.

"We're in trouble now," Kobold said worriedly.

"RUN!"

* * *

**A/N**: And yet another wave of Dawn's luck. After this we'll get to meet some of the members of Dawn's guild, whose name I think you will be able to guess. On with the story~

* * *

_Sometimes it's hard to know,_

_Where you are supposed to go;_

_Where you belong, where you fit in,_

_Where you can bring out the you within!_

_But know, that with your friends,_

_Your adventures never end!_

_Yeah, deep inside, you know you're strong,_

_If you follow your heart, you can't go wrong!_

_Stand up! For all that is right,_

_Be brave! Prepare to fight for the light,_

_Hold on! We're friends for life,_

_And if we come together as one,_

_To claim what's ours, to right what's done,_

_Hand in hand, we will stay strong,_

_Complete the quest that we've begun,_

_We will win the battle,_

_Our lifelong battle!_

_Pokémon_!

* * *

**The Order of Time**

**Episode 3:** The Order

* * *

Now we see our heroes trying to escape a flock of angry Spearow.

"Seriously, Dawn, your luck is questionable," Yellow panted, running as fast as he can while avoiding the vengeful birds.

"You _think_?" Dawn cried out; being the slowest of the group, she was the most exposed to the rage of the Spearow.

"This is why I don't engage Spearow," Kobold said, dodging several Peck attacks. "You fight one of 'em, you fight all of 'em."

"I'm tired of this!" Yellow declared, facing the large flock and unleashing a strong Thunder Wave. "That should keep them down for now, hurry!" he shouted.

* * *

**Viridia City**

"Here, this way!" Dawn exclaimed as the four raced to enter the city. Viridia was smaller than most cities, but visibly bigger than Masara. Houses dot the urban landscape, with a large stadium in the middle of town the most striking landmark of all. However that was not the aim of the group, at least for now. Their real aim was to find a way to run away from the Spearow that were still following them.

"We didn't even get the chance to receive the reward money..." Yellow lamented as the four reached the outskirts of the city.

"Hold it, thieves!" a female officer stopped the two trainers. "Mind telling me what you're doing with two injured Pokémon?" she demanded.

"Running away from that, Officer Jenny!" Dawn exclaimed in panic as the Spearow neared the city with even more rage.

"Oh," the officer identified as Jenny said before mounting her moped and revving the engine. "Hop on! I'll take you to the nearest guild!"

The four complied and jumped onto the moped's sidecar. The motor then sped off, and the Spearow, too tired to continue, left the group alone.

* * *

**Order of Time**

This is the Order of Time guild. One of the most famous guilds in the Eastern continent, it is known for its rigorous training and its strong-willed members that will always get the job done. It seems like a small hut on a mountain at the edge of the city, but it actually continues underground.

"Who goes there? Step on the grate to identify yourselves!" a gruff voice bellowed out, surprising Ash and Kobold.

"You don't have to shout, you know," Dawn replied, and quickly stepped on the rusty metal.

_What's that? Looks like it will tickle my feet or something..._ Ash thought.

"Just get in, Ash, promise it won't hurt~" Dawn winked.

"Okay," Ash said warily. He watched as Dawn showed her yellow gear symbol that glowed a bright yellow. _So that's what it was for! Of course I don't have that..._

"Ah, Dawn, Yellow! How are you?" a weak, small voice squeaked from below the crate, different from the loud, gruff voice before.

"As good as always, Diggie!" Yellow exclaimed happily.

"Who's your new friend? He doesn't have any symbol on him," the voice identified as Diggie asked.

"Oh, that's a new recruit!" Dawn winked.

"A new recruit? I'm so jealous," Diggie replied.

"Can you stop chit chatting and just TELL me who it is?" the gruff voice from before demanded.

"Uhh, sorry, it's Dawn and a new recruit," the voice replied sheepishly.

"Then why didn't you SAY so?!" the other voice exclaimed, making everyone sweatdrop. "You can enter!"

"I swear, Surge is as loud as that Loudred of his..." Dawn muttered as the four entered a shaft going down into the ground.

* * *

**Order of Time, First Floor**

"Welcome to the Order of Time!" Dawn exclaimed as she presented the underground lobby, with several tables where trainers and Pokémon were chatting happily. By two opposite sides of the room there are two boards with different papers placed on them, and also three paths going left, down, and right.

"It's bigger than I thought," Kobold remarked in awe.

"Hello, Dawn!" a brunette girl holding a Torchic bearhugged the blue maiden, making her begin to choke. She wore s green bandanna with a bright orange gear symbol. This is May Maple, Dawn's best friend. She is a very... energetic girl. "I've missed you, why didn't you invite me to your last mission?"

"May, she can't speak because you're doing it again," a younger boy with navy hair and a green shirt sighed. This is Max Maple, May's younger brother and another of Dawn's friends. He doesn't have Pokémon yet, thus he isn't officially a member; however, he has loads of information and knowledge.

"Oops, sorry," May apologized sheepishly, releasing Dawn from her tight grip.

"It was an E-class mission, the lowest level! I could handle it by my own," Dawn squeaked out as she gulped for air.

"I'm the LOWEST level!?" Kobold complained.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to insult you, Kobold," Dawn apologised.

"Who's the new guy? And why does he have a Pokémon named Kobold?" the young boy asked.

"Oh, this is Ash, our newest recruit!" Dawn huffed proudly.

"Uhh, hello?" Ash greeted flatly.

"Hello, Ash!" May shook Ash's hand so hard that he had to focus in order to not fly away.

"Amazing find, almost nobody can survive May's power shake," a purple-haired man remarked as he approached the group. A purple gear symbol can be seen on his left arm. This is Paul Shinji, the most calm and collected member of the guild. He is also rumored to have a relationship with many female members of the guild.

"P-Paul!" Dawn exclaimed nervously, while May just deadpanned. "What are you doing here?"

"Seeing the new recruit, see if he's fit to work with me, I mean us," Paul replied, scrutinizing Ash with a cold glare. Ash glared back, his cyan eye apparently glowing, making Paul back away.

"You deal with that weirdo, I'm out of here!" he stammered, leaving the seven. "I think my ladies are waiting for me, ta ta~"

"What's his problem?" May asked flatly. The others replied with a silent 'I don't know'.

"Speaking of which, we have to register you, Ash!" Dawn exclaimed, suddenly remembering the task at hand. "Hurry, before the office closes!"

* * *

**Order of Time, Second Floor**

The second floor was smaller than the first floor, with several tunnels trailing off to who knows where. Dawn explained that this was the guild's dormitory, and all trainees that live too far stay here. This was also where the Guildmaster's quarters are, which is right next to the registration area.

"Now one rule we have in the guild is that one must never disrespect the Guildmaster, no matter what happens," Dawn warned Ash sternly, sending shivers down his spine. The others nodded frantically.

"The last time someone tried to do something on the Guildmaster, the building was almost destroyed," Kobold heard Max whisper to May, which made him even more terrified of the leader of the Order of Time. _Just who is that guy?_ he thought.

"Okay, this is it," Dawn said nervously as she knocked on the door to the registration room. "Master, we're coming in!"

* * *

**A/N**: Any suggestions on who else should be in the guild? Please review, and you know the rest.

_to be continued..._


	4. The Viridia Tour

"Master, we're coming in!"

Ash and Kobold had many ideas on what the guildmaster would be like, but they never expected an old man wearing a brown business suit, doing paperwork while a small Abra sat next to him, sleeping. This is Master Rowan, the guildmaster of the Order of Time.

"Hmm, what brings you here today, Dawn?" Rowan asked, one eyebrow raised in confusion.

"Umm we have a new recruit, master," Dawn replied timidly _Why are they all so scared?_ Ash thought.

"Oh really?" Rowan finally looked at the two. Ash then understood why everyone was terrified of the guy. _Those eyes staring right into one's soul... it's unnerving!_

"What's your name, son?" the old man asked, glaring at Ash like a Noctowl.

"A-Ash sir, and this is my partner, Kobold," the raven stammered.

"Don't you have a last name?" Rowan inquired.

"Ash Quetzal," Ash blurted out, saying the first foreign plant that came into his mind, not that he knew how he knew about it.

"You don't seem like you do criminal acts, just one more thing," Rowan declared, moving face-to-face to the raven and gecko. "My guild is one of the toughest in Japonia. There aren't many here because they all quit after a month or so. Are you ready to handle the guild's rigorous training?"

_Their training's tough if everyone quits after the first month,_ Ash thought._ But I won't back down!_ "Yes sir!"

"Are you willing to put your life on the line, not backing out of anything, to help others in need?"

"Yes sir!" the raven repeated, hazel eyes burning with determination.

"And will you always protect your comrades, no matter the cost?"

"We will, sir!" Ash and Kobold exclaimed, clenching their hands into a fist in excitement.

"Then welcome to the guild!" Rowan smiled, hand outstretched.

"Thank you sir," Ash replied happily, accepting the handshake.

* * *

**A/N:** And the Order's Guildmaster is Rowan! I wonder what made everyone so scared of him... And if you're wondering why I changed Ash's last name it's because I find "Ketchum" a little weird so I changed it to something that almost sounds the same. Anyway let's go on with the show!

* * *

_Sometimes it's hard to know,_

_Where you are supposed to go;_

_Where you belong, where you fit in,_

_Where you can bring out the you within!_

_But know, that with your friends,_

_Your adventures never end!_

_Yeah, deep inside, you know you're strong,_

_If you follow your heart, you can't go wrong!_

_Stand up! For all that is right,_

_Be brave! Prepare to fight for the light,_

_Hold on! We're friends for life,_

_And if we come together as one,_

_To claim what's ours, to right what's done,_

_Hand in hand, we will stay strong,_

_Complete the quest that we've begun,_

_We will win the battle,_

_Our lifelong battle!_

_Pokémon!_

* * *

**The Order of Time**

**Episode 4:** The Viridia Tour

* * *

**Order of Time, First Floor**

"Hey Dawn, look at this," Ash exclaimed, him and Kobold racing to Dawn and Yellow, who were eagerly eating their meals. Ash showed off his new guildmark, a black gear on his upper chest, near his collarbone. Kobold also displayed his similar mark, which was on his left shoulder.

"Congrats, Ash! You're now an official member of the Order of Time!" Dawn congratulated as she finished the last mongrels of food on her bowl. "And as an older member, I get to give you the traditional tour around Viridia!" she puffed proudly.

"Hope you won't just show us the major shopping districts," Kobold remarked, making Ash and Yellow snicker.

"No I won't because unlike you I'm mature," Dawn retorted.

"I don't really think so, Dawn," Max interrupted as he sat next to the four. The bluenette just stuck her tongue out.

"By the way, where's your big sister?" Ash asked.

"Oh May? She went on a mission with Paul," Max answered. "Can't say the two of them get along, but there's not much we can do about it."

"Since you're not doing anything else why don't you join us?" Dawn suggested.

"Yeah, help us make sure Dawn doesn't lose us while checking the markets," Kobold remarked, which made Dawn sweatdrop.

"Good point," Max replied, suddenly smiling. "Okay, I'm in!"

* * *

**Viridia City**

"Welcome to Viridia City Square!" Dawn and Yellow introduced, showing Ash and Kobold a large plaza with many stalls filled with humans and Pokémon alike.

"So many people..." Ash and Kobold muttered in unison.

"There's naturally many people because this is where all of the important facilities are," Max explained.

* * *

The three humans and two Pokémon first went to a stall with a pink-haired woman and a Chansey.

"Welcome to the Healing Center! I am Nurse Joy, how can I help you?" the woman now known as Joy smiled.

"It's okay, Nurse Joy, we're just showing our new friend around," Dawn reassured, then went to face Ash. "As Joy said, this is the Healing, where injured Pokémon are treated and nursed back to health."

* * *

The next stall was quite big, which was connected to a large builiding. By the entrance of the building was a Kangaskhan and a woman that eerily looks like a grown-up May.

"Oh my gosh, Max! How are my two favorite children?" the woman exclaimed, wrapping Max in a bearhug.

"Mom... too... tight..." Max whimpered, trying to escape the hug of his mother.

"Well this is Caroline, Max and May's mother, and the owner of Kangaskhan Storage, where you can store items you can't afford to lose in dungeons," Dawn sweatdropped as Max's cries for help were heard as she explained.

"I can see whose genes May inherited..." Kobold muttered.

* * *

The next stall was... weird, in a lack of worda to describe it. The entire stall had two clashing designs, which look like a combination of a Meowth and a Duskull. It's evident that the person- er, people, who painted the area colored the building clumsily with splotches of grey and apricot.

"Welcome to the Meowskull Bank!" two people exclaimed, before glaring at each other with static in between their foreheads and arguing, as Yellow tried to stop the duo.

"This is the Meowskull Bank, led by Nyar and Dusk, where you store your money and treasures," Max explained. "However, once you store your money with one of these two blockheads," he pointed to the duo who was on the ground because of Yellow's Thundershock, "the other will refuse to attend to you."

"Okay?" Ash sweatdropped, grabbing a small Pokéjewel on the street and giving it to the black-haired man, which smiled creepily and stuck his tongue out to the blond-haired man, who huffed and looked away.

* * *

"This is the Kecleon Market, where you can buy necessities for exploration or for home use," Dawn remarked as the group entered a small market where a single person sat by the counter and several Kecleon crawled throughout the place, grabbing and storing different stuff.

"Hello, Dawn and Max!" the green-haired attendant smiled and waved at the bluenette.

"Hello to you too, Cilan!" the two aforementioned replied back.

"Who's the new guy? His flavor is quite interesting," the young man identified as Cilan asked, pointing at Ash.

"I'm Ash Quetzal," the raven introduced introduced himself.

"Well, hello, Ash! I'm Cilan Cleonis. If you need anything of any flavor, my shop will have it!" Cilan replied, bowing towards the three.

"Do you have eucalyptus flavor?" Kobold asked curiously, before Dawn and Max dragged him and Ash out, leaving the greenette with a rain cloud above is head.

* * *

"And here is the Police Station, where reports are made, which are then turned into missions for guilds," Max concluded as they went to the last part of the tour. As they entered the small building several police officers with Wingulls and Arcanines were entertaining different people who needed help with something.

"Hey, I know you, you're the kids who were being chased by Spearow!" Officer Jenny exclaimed as her eyes landed on Ash and Dawn, who were rubbing their heads sheepishly.

"Sorry ma'am", the two apologised, which made Jenny laugh.

"It's alright," Officer Jenny smiled. "After all, helping is what guilds and officers do!"

"I was wondering, are there any new jobs?" Dawn remarked, putting her finger on her chin.

"As a matter of fact, yes," Officer Jenny replied, leading them to a big board. "Five, to be exact."

"Since this is Ash's mission, we should do something easy," Dawn thought aloud, looking at the different missions. Ash also glanced at the different missions, before one caught his eye. He went to touch it, then everything went black.

* * *

**A/N:** Dun dun dun! I hope you like the different characters I introduced (especially the bank owners hahah), and shoutouts to those who can guess what happened in the end! Please review, and non-constructive flames will be deleted (aka that other guy).

_to be continued..._


	5. The First Mission

**《SCREAM》《FLASH》**

_A salmon-haired boy, fighting a horde of Abomasnow with a kind of fire magic, a Charmander on his head, quickly losing its flame._

**《FLASH》**

Ash woke up to see Kobold, Dawn, Yellow and Max looking at him worriedly as Jenny checked his temperature.

"Are you alright?" Officer Jenny asked as the raven woke up.

_What was that? Was that a dream?_ Ash thought, looking at the job request, which was written in a foreign language. A translation was provided, but Ash instead read the original script. His eyes widened as he read the job description.

_'I'm lost in Mt. Zyncium and my Charmander's rapidly losing flame! Reward: 100 Pokéjewel'_

"We'll take this job," Ash suddenly declared, making Dawn and Max jump in fright.

"What's gotten into you?" Dawn asked.

"That job is dangerous and low-paying! Yellow protested, but stopped when Ash narrowed his eyes at the mouse Pokémon.

"We're _doing_ that job, Yellow," the raven growled, his eyes glowing cyan blue once again, releasing a lot of pressure.

"Okay! Okay! Let's do it, don't get angry," Dawn said fearfully, trying to stop Ash from scaring the wits out of the group. "If you really want to help whoever is in that mountain, then let's go for it!"

"Thank you, Dawn," Ash's eyes returned to its normal amber color, shining with gratitude.

As the group left to prepare for the mission, Jenny could not help but worry. _That immense power..._

* * *

**A/N:** And here begins our heroes' first mission! And to those who guessed, yes, it's the Dimensional Scream that Ash had felt! Now let's go on with the story!

**RhymeSalad: **Thanks a lot! Yeah this game is going to be a very plot-filled Mystery Dungeon game... So let's just wait and see what happens~

* * *

_Sometimes it's hard to know,_

_Where you are supposed to go;_

_Where you belong, where you fit in,_

_Where you can bring out the you within!_

_But know, that with your friends,_

_Your adventures never end!_

_Yeah, deep inside, you know you're strong,_

_If you follow your heart, you can't go wrong!_

_Stand up! For all that is right,_

_Be brave! Prepare to fight for the light,_

_Hold on! We're friends for life,_

_And if we come together as one,_

_To claim what's ours, to right what's done,_

_Hand in hand, we will stay strong,_

_Complete the quest that we've begun,_

_We will win the battle,_

_Our lifelong battle!_

_Pokémon!_

* * *

**The Order of Time**

**Episode 5:** The First Mission

* * *

**Order of Time**

"Why can't I go with you?" Max complained, looking longingly at Ash and Dawn.

"I'm sorry, Max, you don't have a Pokémon yet," Dawn sighed. "Mt. Zyncium is a dangerous place for non-trainers."

"But my magic can help track the client!" Max retorted. "I'm not a trainer, but I am a mage!"

"Alright, but don't blame me if May goes all berserk," Dawn relented.

"Alright!" Max pumped his fists in excitement.

"What's the difference between a trainer and a mage?" Ash asked, intrigued.

"Well you see, a trainer is a person who has Pokémon at his or her disposal," Dawn explained, "while a mage is a person who can utilize magic without needing any tools or Pokémon. Anyone can be a trainer, but only few can be mages."

"Although mages are quite powerful, some are specialised and are not ready for combat, thus needing a Pokémon partner," Max added. "So a guild's number one requirement is to have a Pokémon, which is why I'm not an official member."

"So are we going or not?" Yellow asked.

"Of course, no need to worry!" Dawn replied as the five began their trek to Mt. Zyncium.

* * *

**Mt. Zyncium Peak**

A salmon-haired boy sat near a small campfire, his white scarf fluttering in the blizzard. He wore a black sleeveless waistcoat and white baggy shorts.

"Don't worry Ignia, I'll keep 'ya safe," the boy reassured the Charmander he held closely.

* * *

**Mt. Zyncium Foot**

"So where is he, Max?" Dawn asked, staring at the snowy mountain they have to climb up. Mt. Zyncium was right beside Mt. Ferrum which the Order of Time is situated on, however this mountain was taller and colder.

"Wait a sec," Max replied typing something on a holographic keyboard. "I'm still trying to locate him."

"What's Max's magic about, by the way?" Kobold asked curiously.

"Well he has a special Tracker Magic, which can show the species and whereabouts of any life sign, and it can also filter certain life signs," Yellow explained.

"Guys, according to this the client is at the top of the mountain," Max exclaimed, showing a monitor with a map of Mt. Zyncium on it. There were three dots by the foot of the mountain, and one faint dot in its centre.

"Well then what are we waiting for, let's go!" Dawn exclaimed, dragging Yellow along with her.

"Hey wait for us!" Ash, Kobold and Max exclaimed, chasing after the bluenette.

* * *

"Can you find her?" Ash asked Max, gripping his cloak to prevent it from flying away.

"Too much interference," Max replied then sneezed as the wind and snow tickled his nose.

"Well I guess we'll have to find the client and Dawn," Ash sighed. The raven closed his eyes, trying to locate the two with his Aura Sight. He then sprinted towards a certain direction. Kobold quickly following him.

"Hey, don't leave me behind!" Max cried out.

* * *

Meanwhile in another part of Mt. Zyncium, where the snow and wind wasn't that strong Dawn and Yellow found themselves in a peculiar situation.

"Prepare for trouble!" a woman with long, magenta hair exclaimed.

"And make it double!" a man added, holding his periwinkle hair in a pose.

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all peoples within our nation!"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"Team Rocket, blasting off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now or prepare to fight!"

"Meow, dat's right!" a Meowth with a strange accent concluded.

"Uhh excuse me, but we're in a mission right now, so if we could just-" Dawn pleaded, before being interrupted by the trio.

"A _mission_, you say?" the flamboyant man asked.

"Well we're from the Sliph Rockets Guild and we will take over your mission for you," the woman declared.

"So giv's ya' job rekwest, or ya' face gets it," the Meowth threatened, showing his gleaming claws.

"I'm tired of this," Yellow sighed, unleashing a Thundershock at the trio which exploded upon contact.

"Whoa, that Pikachu is mighty strong!" the blue-haired man exclaimed as the three soared through the air.

"Let's grab 'em for da boss next time!" the Mepwth suggested as the trio continued their ascent.

"LOOKS LIKE TEAM ROCKET'S BLASTING OFF AGAIN!" The three disappeared into the air with a twinkle.

* * *

**Mt. Zyncium Peak**

The salmon-haired boy and his Charmander looked around warily, watching as a group of Abomasnow slowly sureounded them.

"Ignia, stay back! I'll handle this one," the boy smirked as flames surrounded his hands.

"Flaming Iron Fist!" he exclaimed as he launched towards one of the Abomasnow, making the large Pokémon keel in pain.

"Dragon Talons!" the boy exclaimed again as he slashed the same Abomasnow with his hands which turned into large claws, leaving it unconscious.

"See that, Ignia? These monkeys are no match for-" The boy was cut short by an Ice Beam to the face, followed by a Powder Snow and a Tackle. "Ow, that hurt!"

The Abomasnow continued their relentless attack, making the boy sweat a little. Suddenly one Ice Beam attack was directed to the small Charmander. "IGNIA!"

There was a small explosion, however the dust cleared to show a glowing blue shield which was maintained by Ash.

"So we've found 'ya," the raven smiled before launching an Aura Sphere at another Abomasnow. "I'm Ash Quetzal, we received your job request and are here to help."

"Thanks for savin' Ignia. I'm Endre Drackner, nice to meet 'ya!" the salmon-haired boy grinned as he prepared a sphere of fire. "Brilliant Flame!"

The second Abomasnow accepted the attack head on, but wasn't able to handle the fiery sphere and was scorched, then was knocked into dreamworld by Kobold's Pound.

"Two more left," Ash smirked, sending more Aura Spheres, backed up by the Endre's Brilliant Flame, towards the remaining Abomasnow. Ignia and Kobold also launched an Ember and Razor Leaf attack respectively. After the joint attack hit the two snow apes, an explosion occured and the Abomasnow were left unconscious.

"Alright!" Endre cheered, then ran towards Ignia, whose tail flame glowed dimly. "Don't worry Ignia, you're gonna be alright," he whispered soothingly to the Charmander.

"Here, this should help," Ash offered an Oran Berry and an Aprikorn. "Give your Charmander the berry and store him in the Aprikorn."

"Gee, thanks," Endre grinned, following Ash's instructions. Ignia was enveloped in a red light, before disappearing into the capturing device.

"Ash, don't run so fast!" the group heard a voice complain as a group of figures ran towards the three.

"Same thing can be said for _you_, Dawn!" Max panted, struggling to keep up.

"Don't worry, we found the client!" Kobold exclaimed, making Max and Dawn sigh in relief.

"Dawn, Max, this is Endre Drackner. Endre, meet Dawn Berlitz and Max Maple, and our Pokémon Kobold and Yellow," Ash introduced.

"Nice to meet you, Endre!" Dawn exclaimed happily.

"Nice to meet all of 'ya too, Dawn!" Endre grinned.

"Anyway we should return to the guild, the sun is setting and the mountain gets colder in the night," Max suggested.

"Oh right," Dawn said sheepishly, before grabbing an Escape Orb. "Everyone huddle up!"

The group surrounded Dawn and she broke the blue orb, which created a glowing magic circle. Everyone in it then disappeared in a white beam.

* * *

**A/N:** And we introduce a new character in our story! If you guessed who this character is (and it's quite obvious) then no, this is not a crossover, I just added some characters from other anime but not really crossing them over. Please review, and you know the rest.

_to be continued..._


	6. The Illusory Mage

After making a quick stop at the Pokémon Center, the four entered the guild to find a very angry May and a beaten-up Paul.

"MAX! Where were you!?" May demanded, marching towards Max with a menacing look on her eyes.

"Uhh I was just on a mission with Dawn," Max whimpered, hiding behind Ash who just sighed.

"So how did your mission go?" a brown-haired boy with a rugged shirt and miners' shorts asked curiously. This is Diggie Letto, the sentry of the guild.

"It was swell! We were able to find and save the client!" Dawn cheered as she grabbed Endre.

"It was fun, wasn't it Ignia?" Endre grinned widely.

"Just please don't train atop a mountain without a map," Ignia reminded, making Endre scratch his head sheepishly.

"Oh I forgot! Here's your reward," Endre rummaged through his pocket, then suddenly turned pale. "I guess I dropped my Pokéjewel somewhere in the mountain, heheh..." he admitted sheepishly.

"No reward AGAIN!?" Dawn cried, falling on the floor on her butt.

"Ah, don't worry about it," Ash reassured, ignoring Dawn's indignant protests. "Anyway, do you have a place to stay here in Viridia?"

"No, to be honest I ain't got a place to call home," Endre said warily.

"Now that I think about it I have the same problem," Ash realised, before Rowan appeared behind the two.

"Don't worry, members and guests has free lodging downstairs," the elder explained.

"But you have to share rooms!" Max added, before muttering a 'too bad I have to share it with my sister', gaining a glare from May.

"I guess we'll be sharing rooms!" Endre declared, wrapping his hands around Ash who gladly returned the gesture.

"Let's check out the room then," Kobold declared as he climbed down the ladder. "Last one down's a rotten Eggxecute!"

* * *

**A/N:** Welcome to the sixth chapter of Order of Time! No major arcs yet, we will delve first into the lives of the different members of the guild. So please enjoy!

* * *

_Sometimes it's hard to know,_

_Where you are supposed to go;_

_Where you belong, where you fit in,_

_Where you can bring out the you within!_

_But know, that with your friends,_

_Your adventures never end!_

_Yeah, deep inside, you know you're strong,_

_If you follow your heart, you can't go wrong!_

_Stand up! For all that is right,_

_Be brave! Prepare to fight for the light,_

_Hold on! We're friends for life,_

_And if we come together as one,_

_To claim what's ours, to right what's done,_

_Hand in hand, we will stay strong,_

_Complete the quest that we've begun,_

_We will win the battle,_

_Our lifelong battle!_

_Pokémon!_

* * *

**Order of Time**

**Chapter 6:** The Illusory Mage

* * *

**Order of Time, Second Floor**

The raven and pinkette opened- er, kicked the door to find a moderately-sized room with two haybeds and a small wooden table. There's a window that opens up to show a view of Viridia, and small vines that add to the earthy ambience.

"Wow, this bed's surprisingly soft," Ash remarked as he and Kobold sat on the haybed closer to the table, while Endre and Ignia plopped themselves on the other bed.

"So what do we do now? I'm bored," Endre remarked as he rested his head on his hands.

"Well we rest, maybe you tomorrow could join our guild and get your guildmark," Ash suggested, taking off his cloak to reveal a grey shirt and pants.

"Yeah, maybe I'll go do that, tomorrow..." Endre trailed off, falling asleep instantly, the Pokémon following suit. Ash chuckled and lay down on his bed too, drifting off to sleep.

* * *

The next day, Ash woke up to a loud shout, covering his ears. He was surprised to see Endre and Ignia unaffected by the alarm.

"Where are you going?" Kobold asked as he saw Ash get dressed.

"I'm gonna go to the city," Ash declared, looking at his cloak disapprovingly. "I really need a change of clothes, maybe take up Dawn's offer to go shopping."

"Good luck with that," Kobold snickered, deciding to hang out with Endre and Ignia for the time being. Ash rolled his eyes and exited their room.

* * *

**Order of Time, First Floor**

"Hey, have you seen Dawn?" Ash approached Max and May, who were happily chatting with each other. Pyra, May's Torchic was pecking on the ground at the crumbs on the floor while Paul was saying goodbye to another girl he just met.

"Oh Dawn? She just left for the city, something about buying someone a gift," Max answered, finger on his chin trying to remember any other detail.

"Oh really? I was going to ask her to help me buy new clothes..." Ash muttered, not noticing Max and Paul pale and back up a little.

"He's done for..." Ash heard Paul mutter nervously, suddenly feeling nervous himself, backing away from the girl whose hair covered her eyes. "Well I'll go catch up to her now, so-"

"YOU'RE SHOPPING FOR CLOTHES? COUNT ME IN!" May squealed, suddenly grabbing Max, Paul and Ash by the collar and dashing towards Viridia.

* * *

**Viridia City**

"Thanks again for this, Cilan," Dawn smiled at the green-haired lad, accepting a small paper bag.

"I wonder if they'll like your surprise," Cilan remarked, making Dawn giggle.

"I just hope I can get back before they wake up," the bluenette said before saying goodbye and returning to the guild.

* * *

"This is your fault..." Paul muttered as he carried several bags filled with shoes and dresses. He was wearing a blue jacket and shoes with grey pants.

"Never say shopping in front of a woman," Max sighed, carrying more bags and Pyra on his head.

"I'm sorry!" Ash apologised, carrying more bags, but he was content as he was able to purchase a new attire consisting of his shirt and pants, along with blue gloves, boots and vest. A black cap with blue stripes and yellow markings topped the look, along with the black cloak he wore before.

"Ooh, a Pokétch of the latest fashion!" May squealed, going inside yet another store momentarily leaving Ash, Paul and Max by themselves.

"So what do we do now?" Ash asked his companions.

"Well we can leave May alone and return to the guild," Paul suggested.

"But then one of us has to stay behind to carry May's stuff," Max remarked, only to see the evil grins on his companions' faces, then suddenly being bombarded with several shopping bags.

* * *

"Did we lose 'em?" Ash asked, panting.

"I think so," Paul replied. The two grinned, then laughed as they dusted themselves off. Paul then decided to show Ash the rest of the city where Dawn and May didn't lead the raven.

"So Paul, I was wondering, what magic do you use?" Ash asked curiously.

"Me? I use Illusion Magic, I can make realistic apparitions of objects," Paul boasted.

"How about a battle?" Ash suggested. "I saw a small clearing a few blocks back, let's see who's stronger.

"I like the sound of that, but don't think I'll lose to you!" Paul accepted.

* * *

The two stood in a small clearing in between two houses, boviously the site of an unfinished building.

"Are you sure about this?" Paul taunted. "After all I am one of the top mages in the Order of Time."

"Stop talking and fight!" Ash interjected, punching Paul in the guts, only for him to disappear. "What?"

"And that's the power of illusions," Paul exclaimed, reappearing behind Ash and delivering a powerful kick which sent the raven flying. The illusion mage closed in for another kick, but Ash expected this and sidestepped the attack. The two exchange hits in Close Combat, then leapt back and awaited the other's next move.

"Double Team!" Paul exclaimed, creating several illusions of himself. Ash smirked as he closed his eyes, making Paul widen his. _Aura Sight... no wonder his eyes were blue! He can use Aura!_

"Found 'ya," Ash grinned as he sent a barrage of Aura Spheres on the real Paul. Still in shock, the illusion mage couldn't dodge and accepted the powerful spheres head on. The last one sent him flying, hitting a rock and collapsing on the floor.

"Didn't know you could use Aura," Paul remarked as Ash helped him stand.

"Oh that's what it was called," the raven said curiously.

"Aura is an ancient magic which utilises the life force around a mage," Paul explained. "Your last attack, Aura Sphere, can be as strong as a Hyper Beam with practice."

"Oh really," Ash grinned, creating a small sphere of Aura before dissipating it.

"We should go back," Paul declared. Ash agreed and the two began their trip home.

* * *

**Order of Time**

"You're back!" Endre waved happily, a red gear marking on his right shoulder now evident. Kobold and Ignia stood beside the pinkette, calmly awaiting the duo's arrival.

"May, Max and Dawn are back, and the Maples don't look happy with the two of you..." Kobold snickered, making Ash and Paul pale.

"You're back!" Diggie's voice can be heard from below the grate, having identified the glowing gears and the voices of those above.

"Come in! Dawn has something to show 'ya!" Endre grinned.

When Ash came inside, he was surprised to se that there was a party ongoing. Dawn and Diggie greeted the five at the entrance, while Endre and Paul got involved in a large brawl in the middle of the guildhall. Rowan was talking to a buff blonde man with a Loudred, while Max was reading a book. Finally there was a large banner spelling 'Welcome to the Guild!', which Ash couldn't read.

"What's this?" he asked curiously.

"Can't you read the banner?" Dawn asked sarcastically.

"No, I can't," Ash deadpanned, making Dawn and Diggie sweatdrop.

"Endre can't either, how strange..." Diggie remarked, before continuing on. "Well this is a party to celebrate our guild's new members, namely you, Kobold, Ignia and Endre!"

"Here's a gift for you!" Dawn smiled, giving the raven a dark blue cloth with blue and green swirls. "This is called a Harmony Cloth, but I don't know what it does. Endre has one too!"

"Thanks, I guess," Ash remarked, before placing it around his neck.

"Come on then! Let's join the party!" Dawn exclaimed. The three then returned to their brawling guildmates, Ash eventually joining as well. This continued all night, as they partied the night away.

* * *

**A/N:** Phew! This is the longest chapter I've made so far! Anyway a one more chapter and a new arc will begin. Please review, and you know the rest.

_to be continued..._


	7. The Sentries

Another great day. The sun is shining, the Pidgey are singing, the winds are blowing. It was a peaceful morning, well it was until a loud groan broke the peace.

"Argggh, I'm bored! Hey Ash, nobody's come yet?" Endre complained as he sat by the guild's entrance.

"No, not a soul," the said raven's voice resounded from the cavern next to the pinkette.

"Although there was that small Pidgey that perched itself on the grate," Kobold's voice had a hint of mischeviousness that Endre snickered at, understanding what event transpired below.

So how did the duo end up like this, one may ask? Well let us flash back to a few moments ago.

* * *

**_Flashback, Early Morning_**

"So what do we do, exactly?" Ash questioned as he, Endre, their Pokémon and Diggie stood below the grate of the Order's entrance. It was a plain looking room, just mounds of dirt and plants scattered about.

"This is the sentry room, so you will be today's sentries, silly!" Diggie answered cheerfully. "Since we I can't always stay here, we require members to have at least a little experience in sentry duty."

"This is boring," Endre complained, resting his head on his arms as he leaned on the wall. "I wanna train and fight stuff!"

"Think of this as training for your patience," Ignia remarked. Endre grumbled, muttering a reply only he can hear.

"Are you DONE dilly-dallying!? You have a JOB to do!" a voice resounded from the entrance of the room. Upon closer inspection it was a buff man with blonde hair. He wore a soldier's attire and large headphones. This is Surge Dreyar, Diggie's partner and fellow sentry of the guild. His Loudred stood stoically beside him, the two glaring at the small group.

"Ughhh, so that's what woke us up yesterday..." Kobold muttered he and the others covered their ears.

"So basically, one of you stays here, identifying those that enter while the other stands by the gate, opening it once the sentry below confirms their identity," Diggie explained, not affected as he was already used to the sound.

"But if you see the GEAR MARK, you let them in INSTANTLY. GOT THAT!?" Surge and his Loudred chorused, making the group's ears ring, Endre most of all.

"Y-yes," the raven and pinkette whimpered.

_**End Flashback**_

* * *

"Hey, I think Paul and Dawn returned from their latest mission," Ash perked up after a few more minutes of waiting. Endre, exited that someone finally came, jumped to the lever that opens the door, only to find himself holding a broken piece of wood.

"Not again..." Ignia groaned loudly, which didn't go unnoticed to the aura mage in the tunnel and the two mages outside.

"Huh? What happened?" Ash and Dawn questioned as Endre visibly paled.

"I think I broke the thingy that opens the gate, heheh," Endre admitted sheepishly.

"EHH!?"

* * *

**A/N:** What a great way to start the day~ This will be more of a filler chapter, introducing the magic our heroes use. Now let's go on with the story!

* * *

_Sometimes it's hard to know,_

_Where you are supposed to go;_

_Where you belong, where you fit in,_

_Where you can bring out the you within!_

_But know, that with your friends,_

_Your adventures never end!_

_Yeah, deep inside, you know you're strong,_

_If you follow your heart, you can't go wrong!_

_Stand up! For all that is right,_

_Be brave! Prepare to fight for the light,_

_Hold on! We're friends for life,_

_And if we come together as one,_

_To claim what's ours, to right what's done,_

_Hand in hand, we will stay strong,_

_Complete the quest that we've begun,_

_We will win the battle,_

_Our lifelong battle!_

_Pokémon!_

* * *

**Order of Time**

**Chapter 7:** The Sentries

* * *

**Order of Time, First Floor**

"So we all agree that Endre shouldn't be sentry?" Paul asked everyone around, glaring at Endre. Everyone nodded, irking the aforementioned pinkette.

"Hey, so what? If anyone is at fault, it's Grapefruit here!" Endre shouted angrily.

"Who are you calling Grapefruit, Pinkhead?" Paul shouted back, the two clashing heads together.

"It's salmon, not pink! Besides, the gate was your fault because you suddenly came to the guild!" Endre retorted.

"So we can't return to the guild, that's what you're saying?" the illusion mage deadpanned as sparks flew between the two.

"Could you please SHUT UP!" May suddenly appeared in between them, banging their heads together leaving them unconscious on the floor.

"Okay, that was scary," Ash gulped, Dawn, Max and the Pokémon nodding in agreement.

"Paul, Endre apologise to each other this instant!" May demanded the two, who were still in dreamland.

"Uhh May, I think they can't do just that at the moment," Max voiced out, making May glare at him before widening her eyes at the realization.

"Oh, my bad," May smiled innocently, Ash and Kobold looking with their mouths agape.

* * *

After a few minutes, Paul and Endre came to (and apologising to each other in front of a certain brunette), and the group was chatting happily while eating lunch.

"So I was wondering," Ash remarked as he and Endre raced to wolf down their second serving, making everyone sweatdrop. "What magic do you guys use? I know Max uses Tracker Magic and Paul uses Illusion Magic, but how about the rest of you?"

"Good question," Dawn smiled. "Well I use Healing Magic, and can patch up minor wounds and injuries pretty easily!"

"Uhh I use Dive Magic, which means I can easily dig my way into the land, or dive into the oceans," Diggie piped up.

"I use Draconic Magic, isn't it cool?" Endre grinned, igniting his fists in fire and standing on his chair.

"I use Aura Magic," Ash added, synthesizing an Aura Sphere.

"Cool!" Endre grinned. "Can't wait to fight 'ya one day!"

"I'll take a pass," Ash sweatdropped.

"You're no fun..." Endre grumbled, leaning back into his seat.

"How about you, May? What's your magic?" Ignia asked curiously.

"Oh me? I don't actually have magic," the brunette admitted.

"EHH!?" Ash, Endre, and their Pokémon exclaimed in shock.

"T-then what she did a while ago was purely her and no magic?" Kobold asked in disbelief, looking at May who was glaring at him.

"I thought I was hit by a cannonball!" Endre remarked, but wisely shut up when May glared back at him.

Diggie looked at the group with happy, wistful eyes. "I'm gonna miss you all..."

"What do you mean, Diggie?" Ash asked, being the person right beside the sentry.

"I'm... I'm planning to leave the guild..." Diggie blurted out, surprising everyone, then suddenly ran out the main doors of the guild.

"Diggie! Wait!" Dawn exclaimed, trying to go aftet him, but was stopped by a large hand.

"Let me talk to him, I'm his partner after all," Surge declared in a surprisingly soft voice, walking out the front door.

"Anyway me and Endre better return to sentry duty," Ash suggested as he finished his fifth serving.

"But I wanna eat more!" Endre complained, patting his somehow still small stomach.

_Are these two human?_ everyone else thought sweatdropping.

"You should go on without us," Ignia suggested. "I think Endre should steer away from any contraptions for a while."

"What's that supposed to mean!?" Endre grumbled.

"No need to worry, I'll go with you Ash!" Dawn smiled, having finished her meal beforehand.

"Awesome, now let's get this job done," Ash replied. "And hope that Diggie will come back," he added thoughtfully.

* * *

**Viridia City**

"DIGGIE! Where ARE you, bud?" Surge exclaimed in his normal voice as he and Loudred looked around for his sentry partner.

"Are you looking for your friend with the wonderful earthy aroma?" Cilan asked as he was tending to the mini-garden outside his store.

"YEAH! Have you SEEN him?" Surge demanded, making Cilan cover his ears.

"Yeah, he went towards Victory Road, between Mt. Ferrum and Mt. Cuprium," the market owner answered.

"Thanks, I know where to find him now," Surge smiled in a soft voice.

"Did something happen?" Cilan asked, concerned by the big man's tone.

"Just a little case of self-doubt," Surge replied, before taking off again. "THANKS AGAIN, CILAN!"

"You're welcome," Cilan smiled, before turning back to his plants.

* * *

**Mt. Ferrum Cave**

_Why am I so weak?_ Diggie thought as he sat by a small cave's wall.

"Thought I'd FIND 'ya here," Surge's voice resounded throughout the cave, making a tick mark appear on the smaller boy's head.

"Idiot! You're gonna disturb the Diglett here!" Diggie berated, then sighed. "It's been five years..."

"Yeah, five years of our team being formed..." Surge reminisced.

"Why?" Diggie asked rhetorically.

"WHY?" Surge repeated.

"Why am I so weak?" Diggie demanded, tears streaming down his face. "I've been in the guild longer than May, than Paul, than Dawn and Ash, and yet they're stronger than I am! Why is the world so unfair?"

Suddenly, Surge did the unexpected: he hugged the boy.

"It's not strength that counts, I've learned that long ago," Surge comforted in the softest voice he could make. "It's the bond we share with our friends, that makes us stronger."

Diggie now was freely crying, and Surge also had tears in his eyes. The two then stayed like this for a while.

* * *

**Order of Time**

"How much longer?" Kobold complained as Ash stared intently at the grate above him. "The sun's already rising!"

"Quiet, I'm using Aura Sight and it requires undivided attention," Ash replied as he struglled to keep the cyan in his eyes. His eyes then lit up as he felt someone approach. "It's Diggie and Surge!" the raven exclaimed.

"We're back," Diggie smiled as everyone (except Ash and Rowan) came out to hug the small boy, which overwhelmed him.

"Wait, there's one more," Ash declared, sensing another trainer approach. As the trainer (she was a trainer because there was Spoink beside him) stood on the grate, Ash saw no symbol on the individual.

"Identify yourself," Ash demanded.

"I'm here to send a personal request," the person replied before breaking into tears. "My dear Spoinky's pearl was stolen!"

* * *

**A/N**: Surggie anyone? Anyway next chapter we will begin a new story arc, and the main story will begin to take action. Any suggestions on who else, human or Pokémon, should be in the guild? Please review, and mon-constructive flames will be given to Endre.

_to be continued..._


	8. The Forest

"Whaddaya mean ya' pearl was stolen? How could ya' lose somethin' as big as _that_?" Endre demanded angrily, making the brown-haired guest and her Spoink sweatdrop.

"Well-"

"Don't be too hard on him! The thief might have swooped in when they were asleep," Dawn berated as the stranger tried to say something.

"But-"

"I have to agree with Endre here," Max interrupted. "How a glowing, round object that comprises half the size of Spoink's body got stolen without him knowing is pretty weird," he added, earning nods from Kobold and Ignia.

"Aww come on, be nice to the lady!" Paul retorted as he tried to flirt with the woman, earning a glare from May.

"Uhh-"

"Whatever the case, we have to help her!" Ash declared determinedly.

"Can I speak now?" the guest snapped, gaining the attention of everyone. "Sorry about that, you didn't let me speak beforehand."

"Our apologies, madam," Paul bowed, making the other sweatdrop.

"Speaking of which we never asked you for your name," Dawn admitted sheepishly.

"It's okay," the woman smiled. "I am Olivia, and you've met my dear Spoinky. We were travelling from my hometown, Pewter, for a small camping trip in Viridia Forest, when we were cornered by a bunch of thieves," she explained. "We tried to fight back, but they outnumbered us and knocked us unconscious. When we came to, not only were my belongings gone, but also my dear Spoinky's pearl!" She blurted out, once again on the verge of tears.

"It's okay," Dawn comforted. "We'll get your Spoink's pearl back."

"Looks like the perfect job for us!" Endre grinned. "We'll find the pearl, and beat up some thugs along the way!"

"Then we better prepare," Ash advised, Kobold on his hat.

"Yeah!" Dawn exclaimed. "Alright, time for Team Go-Getters to make their debut!"

"What kind of name is that?" Kobold deadpanned, making Dawn collapse comically on the floor.

* * *

**A/N:** Yeah, I just _had_ to add that part~ Anyway this arc will begin to make things interesting for our heroes. Let's not keep you waiting any longer and go on with the show!

* * *

_Sometimes it's hard to know,_

_Where you are supposed to go;_

_Where you belong, where you fit in,_

_Where you can bring out the you within!_

_But know, that with your friends,_

_Your adventures never end!_

_Yeah, deep inside, you know you're strong,_

_If you follow your heart, you can't go wrong!_

_Stand up! For all that is right,_

_Be brave! Prepare to fight for the light,_

_Hold on! We're friends for life,_

_And if we come together as one,_

_To claim what's ours, to right what's done,_

_Hand in hand, we will stay strong,_

_Complete the quest that we've begun,_

_We will win the battle,_

_Our lifelong battle!_

_Pokémon!_

* * *

**Order of Time**

**Chapter 8: **The Forest

* * *

**Viridia Forest**

"Explain how I got dragged into this, exactly?" May asked angrily, hugging Pyra tightly.

"Because I wanted to come, and you didn't want me to go off on my own," Max retorted smartly, typing stuff yet again into the computer.

"Quiet, we don't want to alarm anyone here," Ash said, Kobold tucked in his shirt riding Ash like a Pidgeot. The group was currently in the entrance of Viridia Forest, with Ash and Dawn leading the group.

"We have to be like ninja," Endre remarked, tiptoeing and covering his face with his scarf.

"Seriously?" Dawn whispered as she looked at her teammate's childish antics.

"Not this again," Ignia sighed, walking alongside Yellow on the ground.

"According to my Tracker Magic, there are four possible places where the pearl can be," Max declared, showing another map on his screen, this time with Viridia Forest at its focus. There were four dots, one near the mountainous area of the map, one near the entrance, one en route to Pewter and another near a small cavern. "Ash, take care of the dot by the mountains. Endre, you go along the route to Pewter, and Dawn, inspect the small cave. Me and May will check the one near the entrance," Max ordered.

"Why do you get the easy one?" Yellow asked suspiciously.

"Since you three are TOTALLY stronger and because I am a kid, we get the nearest route," Max replied boastfully, but not without May hitting him on the head.

"Okay, so we split up and meet here in an hour," Ash declared.

"Shouldn't be problem for ninja!" Endre grinned.

"Then let's go!" Dawn exclaimed, and they all went their separate ways.

* * *

"We're here," Ash panted as he and Kobold had raced to the trees by the western mountain cliffs. "It's quite a sight, isn't it, Kobold?"

"Can't find anything of interest so far," Kobold muttered.

"Don't worry, we'll find something eventually," Ash comforted. "Hey, do you hear that?"

There was a wailing sound nearby, like a distraught chirp. It echoed around the area, scaring a few Pokémon away.

"We better check it out," Kobold declared, Ash quickly agreeing. The two searched everywhere until they came upon a small brown bird with a red crest.

"A Pidgeotto!"

* * *

"There's the cave!" Dawn exclaimed, the two approaching a small cavern hidden in the trees. There was a faint blue glow emanating from within the cave's entrance.

"Should we enter?" Yellow asked, looking at his nervous trainer.

"Well y-yeah, m-maybe," Dawn stuttered, but steeled herself and began marching towards the small cave.

"Hmm, I thought that the pearl was pink..?"

* * *

"So what exactly did your magic track?" May asked as the three were searching for the pearl. Pyra was pecking around the floor near her in case it was buried underground.

"I tracked round, shiny objects," Max replied. "So it would either track Spoink's pearl or any Orb it comes across."

"So we basically sent the others on a wild goose chase," May deadpanned, glaring at a nervous Max.

"N-not really! There's a 1-in-4 chance that it may be Spoink's pearl!" Max defended, sweating buckets at the glaring May and Pyra.

"Why didn't you narrow down the search?" May demanded, edging closer to the terrified boy.

"I... forgot?" Max replied dumbly. "Oh look, something round and shiny!"

"Ooh shiny!" Pyra cheered as she ran in the direction Max pointed at.

"Hey Pyra, don't go without me!" May shouted, chasing after her Pokémon.

"Phew," Max deflated visibly.

* * *

"Are you okay?" Ash asked worriedly, finding where the downed Pidgeotto was injured.

"I just... broke my wing..." the Pidgeotto replied, flinching as he tried to flap the broken appendage.

"Let me check," Ash said, examining the injured wing. It was stretched in an awkward position, and the muscle was soft. "A sprain," he deduced.

"Is it bad?" the Pidgeotto asked.

"Hmm maybe not..." Kobold muttered. "Hey Ash, do you have a rope or a bandage?"

"No, but maybe a vine would work," Ash answered, understanding the Treecko's plan. The two nodded, and Kobold set out to find a stick, while Ash began to search for vines.

"You can perch on my shoulder first, while we find the things that will help you get better," Ash suggested, holding his hand out. "I'm Ash, by the way, and this is Kobold."

"Vecier," the Pidgeotto introduced, hopping onto the aura mage's shoulder.

* * *

"Draconic Roar! Flaming Iron Fist! Brilliant Flame!" Endre exclaimed with a feral grin as he obliterated the thugs and destroyed some of the forest in the process.

"Umm Endre? Isn't this a tad _too_ much?" Ignia sweatdropped as he held a small pink pearl.

"Nahh," the fire mage shrugged. "Plus, they kinda deserved it~"

"Fire Blast!" a random mage shouted out, sending a large five-point blast towards the pinkette, creating a large explosion on impact.

"All bark and no bite, pitiful," the mage smirked, before hearing a sucking sound from within the explosion.

"Yuck, this fire is the worst I've ever tasted!" Endre spat, before giving the terrified mage a crazed smile. "But I'm all fired up now! Draconic Roar!"

As the last mage fell unconscious and scorched, Endre scratched his head in boredom. "That's all? I was expecting more of a fight. Come on, Ignia! We better catch up with the others!"

"Well maybe I should put out these fires first," Ignia deadpanned. The pinkette smiled sheepishly before eating the rest of the scattered fires.

* * *

**A/N:** Maybe Endre's a bit too OP? Don't worry, there will be more powerful opponents eventually. What will Dawn encounter in the cave? What will happen to the Pidgeotto Ash and Kobold found? (well I guess it's obvious...) Please review, and you know the rest.

_to be continued..._


	9. The Pearl and the Fowl

"H-Here we go," Dawn stammered as she and Yellow prepared to step foot inside the creepy-looking cavern. It was quite small, compared to most caves, however is still big enough to fit a Snorlax inside.

In the middle of the cave was a glowing blue orb, radiating a warm pulse of light that dimly illuminated the cavern. It reminded Dawn of Ash's magic, but this felt more... _serene_, compared to Ash's fiery Aura.

"Whoa, what's that?" Yellow asked as the two became entranced by the orb. Dawn then proceeded to touch it, but it moved away from her grasp and went deeper into the cave.

"Hey, come back!" Dawn exclaimed, chasing after the blue orb.

"Hey Dawn, wait for me!" Yellow groaned, rushing after his trainer.

Dawn was genuinely surprised when she followed the orb into a larger chamber. The chamber was at least two stories tall, and there were a few Diglett and Sandshrew lurking about. But the most surprising thing was the brown-haired, middle-aged man standing in the middle, holding a staff and the blue orb.

"Hello," the man smiled, breaking Dawn out of her stupor.

"A GHOST!? I'm so sorry for intruding please don't haunt me until the end of my days I'm so sorry-"

"There's no need for fear," the man sweatdropped. "I'm quite alive, thank you very much."

"Oh good," Dawn sighed in relief. "Sorry for that, Mr...?"

"Call me S," the man identified as S answered.

"Okay, Mr. S, but why are you here?" Dawn asked.

"I want to give you this," S smiled, giving the bluenette a small fragment that has an intricate pattern on it. "It will be useful in the future."

"But how will I know when? What if I lose it, or use it at the wrong time?" Dawn asked anxiously.

"In due time, you will know," S answered. "When time is at its end, the world shall turn to ash, and secrets shrouded in mist will be revealed," he chanted cryptically, before disappearing into thin air.

"Wait, Mr. S! What do you mean by that?" Dawn cried.

"Dawn! What happpened?" Yellow asked, finding the bluenette holding a weird relic. "And what's that?"

"I don't know, Yellow," Dawn answered her electric partner quietly, then shrugged the event off. "We should go back to the others, they might be waiting for us!"

"But-"

"No need to worry, now let's go!"

As the two left the cave, they failed to notice a small blue gear glowing in the corner.

* * *

**A/N:** Ooh, a new mystery! So Dawn receives the famed Relic Fragment! What will be its significance in the story? How are the others doing? And why is a gear in the cave? Without further ado, let's get on with the show!

* * *

_Sometimes it's hard to know,_

_Where you are supposed to go;_

_Where you belong, where you fit in,_

_Where you can bring out the you within!_

_But know, that with your friends,_

_Your adventures never end!_

_Yeah, deep inside, you know you're strong,_

_If you follow your heart, you can't go wrong!_

_Stand up! For all that is right,_

_Be brave! Prepare to fight for the light,_

_Hold on! We're friends for life,_

_And if we come together as one,_

_To claim what's ours, to right what's done,_

_Hand in hand, we will stay strong,_

_Complete the quest that we've begun,_

_We will win the battle,_

_Our lifelong battle!_

_Pokémon!_

* * *

**Order of Time**

**Chapter 9:** The Pearl and the Fowl

* * *

**Viridia Forest**

"See any vines, Vecier?" Ash asked, looking around for any kind of vine that could help make the splint for the Pidgeotto's wing.

"None so far," the said Pokémon replied as he stood on the raven's head to search at a higher angle. "There's one- oh wait, it's just a Caterpie."

"You think a single vine wouldn't be hard to find in a forest full of trees," Ash remarked angrily. "We've found more Caterpie munching on Sitrus Berries than plain old vines!"

"There's one!" Vecier exclaimed, pointing towards a stray vine on one tree.

"I don't know, seems pretty suspicious to me..." Ash muttered, slowly approaching the lone vine. "Well here goes nothing," Ash remarked as he held the vine, and gently tugged it.

"SKREEEE!"

* * *

"Hey guys!" Endre exclaimed as he and Ignia reached the group's meeting point, where he saw May, Pyra, Max, Dawn and Yellow.

"We found the pearl!" Ignia exclaimed as the Charmander carried a pink pearl, placing it in the middle of the rock that the group made a makeshift table.

"Great! We only found a Blowback Orb..." Max sighed, shuddering as he remembered May's reaction when they dug up the ordinary item. "Now we just have to wait for Ash and Kobold," May declared.

"Where are they, anyway? It's been forty minutes already," Dawn asked worriedly.

"Nahh, knowing Ash, he won't let anything stop him!" Endre grinned.

* * *

"AHHHH!" Ash and Vecier screamed as they were followed by a horde of angry Victreebel, who were extending their vines in an attempt to reach the duo.

"Can't you do something to fend them off?" Vecier asked worriedly.

"I tried, but it only made them angrier!" Ash replied frantically, preparing another attack. "Aura Missile!"

The attack soared towards the predator Pokémon, knocking one out, however the remaining four continued their relentless assault, even angrier now. "YOU CANNOT ESCAPE!" the Victreebel sceeched in unison.

"What now? I can't do any moves since my wing's broken," Vecier said.

"Then we'll have to fix that!" Ash exclaimed as he used Substitute to momentarily fool the Victreebel. Once three of them began to attack the Substitute, Ash ambushed the other Pokémon and used its Aura to cut off one vine.

"Sorry, big guy, but right now another Pokémon needs this right now," Ash whispered, then raced towards the clearing, where Kobold was waiting.

"What took you so long?" Kobold deadpanned, holding a long stick around the length of Vecier's wing.

"No time to explain, hurry up and place the stick!" Ash ordered. Kobold narrowed his eyes in suspicion, but complied nontheless. The splint was quickly done, and in a matter of seconds Vecier could fly again.

"Great! Now prepare for a fight," Ash warned, moving into a battle stance. Vecier nodded and flapped its wings in anticipation. Kobold was confused, but prepared to use Razor Leaf. And just in time, too.

The three Victreebel suddenly emerged from the clearing, now VERY angry.

"What did you do now?" Kobold exclaimed nervously. The raven just rubbed his head sheepishly.

"YOU WON'T ESCAPE US, PREY!" the lead Victreebel screeched.

"Good, 'cause we don't plan to," Ash smirked, before speeding for the leader. "Aura Sphere!" the aura mage exclaimed, shooting a point-blank sphere to the Victreebel. Kobold then launched his Razor Leaf and Vecier used Wing Attack. An explosion occured and the dust cleared to show the leader fazed, but still standing. His comrades, however, were not so lucky.

"WHY YOU! MEGA DRAIN!" the leader screeched again as he threw his vines in Vecier's direction. The Pigeotto braced for the impact of the life-draining move, but no attack came. He opened his eyes to see Ash wrapped in the vines, red energy coursing through him as part of his life force was sapped by the Victreebel. "Ash? But why?" the fowl asked.

"Can't let an injured friend suffer even more," Ash smirked as the vines retreated and he fell on the ground.

"HA! YOU FOOL, NOW I WILL DEVOUR YOU AND YOUR FRIENDS!" the Victreebel cackled.

"I won't let you hurt my friend!" Vecier cawed, suddenly appearing in front of the leader. "Acrobatics!" he screeched, performing a series of movements in the air before viciously slamming himself on the Victreebel. He did this a second time, and a third time, and finally landed once again on the ground, the Victreebel defeated and Kobold and Ash watching in awe.

"You were amazing, Vecier!" Ash grinned.

"Yeah, that move was just awesome!" Kobold added.

"Thanks," Vecier chirped, rubbing his head sheepishly.

"Anyway, it's almost an hour, me and Kobold better go home," Ash remarked, Kobold climbing into his shirt. "I guess this is goodbye, then."

"Who said anything about goodbyes?" Vecier tilted his head.

"Huh? But, how about your bird friends?" Kobold asked.

"I was separated from them when I was a Pidgey, I tried to find them, but I couldn't, so I decided to live here," Vecier admitted. "But meeting the two of you I feel like I made a friend I can be with, that will stick with me to the end," he added. "So, I want to join you guys!"

"I guess it's okay," Ash thought aloud. "Are you okay with it, Kobold?"

"The more the merrier!" the gecko cheered.

"Alright then," Ash smiled, bringing out an Aprikorn. "Go, Aprikorn!"

Vecier caught the capturing device hurled at him and was enveloped in a bright light. After a few seconds, a successful ping resounded.

"Alright!" Ash smiled. "I caught a Pidgeotto!"

* * *

"You got a second Pokémon?" Endre exclaimed excitedly, looking at the proud Pidgeotto flying around as the group exited the forest. "Awesome!"

"Yeah, thanks again for healing his wing, Dawn," Ash said as Vecier roosted on the aura mage's head.

"Yes, thank you very much!" the fowl chirped.

"No worries! That's what friends are for!" Dawn exclaimed happily.

"Aww, I never knew we were friends!" Kobold cried, pretending to be touched by what Dawn said.

"Shut it, lizard," Dawn huffed as everyone else chuckled, snickered, or giggled at the two.

"But Ash, since you have two Pokémon, that means you have to take care of the both of them," May reminded.

"Yeah, we can handle it!" Ash grinned.

"There's the exit!" Dawn exclaimed, and the group looked up to see an opening in the vast sea of trees.

"Last one to the guildhall takes next sentry shift!" Ash called out as he sped towards the city, enhanced by Aura.

"Oh you're on!" Endre grinned, using his fires to propel himself towards the guild, leaving Ignia behind with Dawn and Yellow, who also began to run along with Max (who was holding Pyra), leaving a dumbfounded May.

"ASH, ENDRE, MAX!" May shouted as a dark aura surrounded her, sending shivers down the latter's spine. The three definitely wouldn't be going on jobs with May for a while...

Meanwhile, unbeknownst to everyone, a black shadow creeped towards the opening in the trees, but as soon as it was exposed to the bright sun it writhed and withered back into the mysterious forest.

* * *

**A/N:** And Chapter 9 is done! So Ash's second Pokémon is a Pidgeotto, how about the others? Any suggestions on their Pokémon? And what was that shadow? Anyway the next chapters will be more jobs, and more characters will be introduced. However it may be a while before I update again, since classes are next week... Please review, and you know the rest.

_to be continued..._


	10. The Child with Azure Hair

"Don't worry, your Pokéjewel will be safe, forever if you would like~!" Dusk smiled eerily as Ash and Endre stored the money they earned from a mission. It was currently midday, as the job was very quick.

"Your Pokéjewel is safe, I'll guard it jealously~!" Nyar purred at Dawn, but not without glaring at his companion, who glared back. The three sweatdropped as they left the bank and released their Pokémon from their Aprikorn.

"I swear, those two are going to give me a headache one of these days..." Dawn sighed, hugging Yellow as the group walked back to the guild.

"Your endless talking already gives me a headache," Kobold jabbed from atop Ash's hat.

"Shut it, you!" Dawn snapped, which Kobold retorted by sticking his tongue out.

"Hey don't worry Dawn, at least we got reward money this time," Yellow reassured.

"We would've had more if Endre didn't burn down the client's garden," the bluenette muttered, making the said fire mage flinch.

"'Yeah, sorry about that," Endre grinned, scratching his head sheepishly.

"Are they always like this?" Vecier whispered to Ignia, who nodded sadly. "Ah."

"How about we grab another job, to make good use of the day?" Ash suggested.

"But I promised May we'd go shopping later," Dawn protested, which went unheard by the rest of the group.

"Hmm, sounds like a challenge!"

"It's better than spending boring time shopping with Dawn."

"Hey!"

"I'd have to agree with Kobold there."

"No fair, Yellow!"

"Alright! I'm all fired up! Race 'ya to the guild!"

"Not again, well that's Endre for you..."

"Hey no fair!"

"Don't leave me here alone!"

And Dawn once again had to chase two energetic individuals all the way to the guild. Meanwhile a small child peeked from the side, with bright blue hair and head tilted in a questioning angle.

"Are those mages?"

* * *

**A/N:** And now appears a mysterious character! What will be his role in the story? Anyway, now let's go on with the show!

**Poke-ranger21: **Yes he will; in fact, I have very big plans for him~! Thanks for reviewing!

* * *

_Sometimes it's hard to know,_

_Where you are supposed to go;_

_Where you belong, where you fit in,_

_Where you can bring out the you within!_

_But know, that with your friends,_

_Your adventures never end!_

_Yeah, deep inside, you know you're strong,_

_If you follow your heart, you can't go wrong!_

_Stand up! For all that is right,_

_Be brave! Prepare to fight for the light,_

_Hold on! We're friends for life,_

_And if we come together as one,_

_To claim what's ours, to right what's done,_

_Hand in hand, we will stay strong,_

_Complete the quest that we've begun,_

_We will win the battle,_

_Our lifelong battle!_

_Pokémon!_

* * *

**Order of Time**

**Chapter 10:** The Child with Azure Hair

* * *

**Order of Time**

"Hey guys! How was your mission?" Diggie greeted from under the grate as the door opened for the guild.

"It was great, actually," Dawn remarked. "Well besides our prize money being cut in half because _someone_ burned down a garden," she added accusingly.

"I bet you could burn down a forest with that gaze~" Kobold snickered, earning him a smack to the head.

"We're back!" Endre exclaimed with gusto as he literally jumped from the ladder going down to the guild.

"Welcome back, guys," May greeted happily. "Sorry Dawn, but me and Max are going on a mission, so we can't go shopping," the brunette apologised.

"Oh really, we were about to do the same thing!" Dawn replied, quite surprised.

"Good luck with that then," Max said as the two set off.

Ignia and Vecier sat on a nearby table as the three humans and two Pokémon approached the mission board, only to notice something off.

"Hey, there's nothing here!" Endre complained as the board was completely barren.

"Can't we go back to Officer Jenny's?" Ash suggested, remembering that there were quite a few jobs listed there.

"She said all the jobs there are also taken," Dawn sighed.

"And those are usually request jobs, which are quite easy and boring," Yellow added.

"Huh?" Ash and Endre deadpanned.

"You see, there are many types of jobs," Yellow explained. "Request jobs are those requested by citizens, whether here or in the nearby areas, to help in certain domestic cases. Rescue jobs are self-explanatory, and Exploration jobs ask one to map out a certain area or find a certain rare treasure."

"And since there are none of those jobs, then..." Dawn muttered, then smiled. "Then let's try a different kind of job!"

"You mean the other board?" Ash asked, pointing to another board with a few posted missions. "Why are there two boards, by the way?"

"Oh, those are the more dangerous jobs, Extermination, Retrieval and Arrest," Dawn explained. "On Extermination jobs there is a certain monster one has to slay, while on Retrieval and Arrest jobs a thief or outlaw needs to be caught."

"Kobold was an E-class Extermination job, and if the girl with the Spoink made a request it would be a D-class Retrieval job," Yellow added.

"Never knew there were different kinds of jobs..." Ash remarked.

"Arggh, it's too complicated!" Endre complained, making everyone sweatdrop.

"Anyway let's find us a job!" Dawn exclaimed.

* * *

As the group went to check the other board a young boy with bright azure hair approached the guild's entrance.

"IDENTIFY YOURSELF!" a loud voice exclaimed which made the boy cry and run away.

"Hey, wait!" Diggie tried to call from under the grate, and it made the boy jump in surprise and trip on the metal bars.

* * *

"Huh? What was that?" Ash asked, hearing Diggie shout just as Dawn was about to choose a job.

"Let's go check it out," Endre declared, grabbing Ignia who launched a Flamethrower in surprise, which Endre gobbled up, however some singed a certain raven in the face.

"Ouch..." Ash groaned as the group climbed up the ladder. When they exited the guild, they saw Surge and Diggie awkwardly trying to calm down a crying blue-haired boy.

"Scared another kid?" Dawn deadpanned at the large blonde, who huffed and looked away, cheeks slightly red due to embarassment.

"Hey, it's not MY fault I SHOUT so LOUD," Surge grumbled, somehow still loud enough to be heard from the inside of the guild. This made the little bluenette cry harder.

"Great job, Surge," Diggie deadpanned sarcastically.

"E-excuse me, sir, a-a-are you m-mages?" the young boy sniffled as he stared at the raven.

"Yes we are little boy, but first, who are you and why are you here?" Dawn asked, crouching in front of the small bluenette.

"I-I'm Azure, a-and I'm looking for my brother," he stuttered, making Endre freeze and narrow his eyes. "W-we were looking for a family heirloom we lost, w-when a man with a D-Drowzee offered us help. I-it's been three days!" he cried out.

"A man with a Drowzee, you say?" Dawn thought, placing a finger to her chin. "I remember there was that wanted man who had a Drowzee! He is wanted for cases of kidnapping and slave trade!"

"What an evil guy!" Kobold remarked. "He's even worse than angry Dawn!" he added snidely, earning a smack from the said bluenette.

"So that man must have kidnapped your brother!" Yellow exclaimed, putting two and two together. Ash then looked at Azure in the eye, crouching like Dawn to the boy's eye level. "Azure, do you know where the two went?" the aura mage asked.

"T-they said they were going to look for our heirloom in the c-cave over there," Azure replied, pointing south towards a small cave by the .

"They went to Masara Cave?! That's a C-class dungeon! It's a very dangerous place, one of the few high-tier dungeons close to civilisation!" Diggie gasped.

"Doesn't matter how dangerous a place it is, we have to find his brother!" Endre spoke up, eyes flaring in determination. _And maybe find mine too..._ he thought wistfully, while Ignia looked at his Trainer curiously.

"That's CRAZY! You'll get pummeled in MINUTES!" Surge shouted, although not as loud as before to the relief of everyone.

"Endre's right, Surge, we have to do something to help! Dawn, what do you say?" Ash said, looking at his Pokémon then two the team leader who had a determined smile.

"Of course! We can't just leave the poor boy without doing something!" the bluenette agreed. "No need to worry, Azure! We'll find your brother!"

"T-thanks," Azure sniffled, clinging to Diggie's shirt. The sentry just smiled and waved goodbye to the trio and their Pokémon. "Good luck and stay safe!"

* * *

**Masara Cave**

In a small chamber filled with rocks, a man in a black business suit and his Drowzee walked slowly, approaching the edge of the room where a body was seen hiding.

"Well well well, look who I found hiding in a corner," the man, looking at the prone form of a small boy who looked like Azure, but a little taller and with bright teal hair. His clothes were ragged and dirty as he looked at the older man and his Drowzee in horror.

"No, I won't let you take me!" the bluenette exclaimed, trying to run away but the man had his Drowzee use Psychic. The small child froze still, unable to resist the psychic attack of the Pokémon whose master approached the bluenette.

"Oh, but what can you do, _litle _Teal?" the man teased, laughing maniacally.

* * *

**A/N:** And that's a wrap! This may be the last chapter I will be doing in a while, since school is here, and I'm still open to suggestions on what to do next~! (Then again, nearly nobody reviews... shout-out to those who reviewed so far, thanks a lot!) Please review, and non-constructive flamers will have to stand in front of a crying Azure and face his barrage of tears! Wohahahah!

_to be continued..._


	11. The Cave

"So this is Masara Cave..." Ash stated in awe as the three looked at the towering stone plateau that sits alone in the southern point of Masara, separating the beach and the nearby woods where Kobold had once lived.

"This place is one of the higher-tier dungeons out there?" Ignia asked, feeling intimidated from the sheer size of the place.

"Azure's brother is somewhere in this cave, and possibly that slaver and his Drowzee," Dawn stated warily.

"Feeling scared?" Kobold jeered.

"Shut it, lizard," Dawn hissed, while Kobold just stuck his tongue out.

"C'mon guys, let's go!" Endre exclaimed, he and Ignia dashing into the cave.

"This is gonna be hard, but we can do it!" Ash declared, he, Kobold and Vecier following the pinkette.

"Hey, wait for us!" Dawn exclaimed, she and Yellow racing after the others.

* * *

**Deep Masara Cave**

"Looks like we have some visitors," the black-clad man and his Drowzee chuckled darkly as he stared at the projection of Ash and co. "I think greetings are in order, no?" he remarked,

"As you wish, Magnus, after all, that's the reason you hired us~" a cloaked woman smiled, showing her golden yellow hair and beautiful face which was twisted in a devious grin.

"We'll be sure to eliminate those meddlers, or my name isn't Butch," a man with blue green hair added, smirking slightly.

"Ahahah! But isn't your name Biff?" a short bald man whose stomach was nearly bulging out of his cloak laughed, earning a tick mark from the verdette.

"It's Butch, you idiot!" the man known as Butch growled.

"Now Butch, Kid, let's not get too carried away," the woman advised with an all-knowing tone. "Don't worry, Magnus, we'll get rid of those pests~"

"That's what I wanted to hear," the man now known as Magnus smirked.

* * *

**A/N:** And now comes the other gang of team Rocket. _Hooray_... Anyway sorry for the long wait, as the first two weeks of school was more hectic than I imagined, but hey, I managed~! Anyway there's a little gore in this chapter, so be warned. And now let's go on with he show!

* * *

_Sometimes it's hard to know,_

_Where you are supposed to go;_

_Where you belong, where you fit in,_

_Where you can bring out the you within!_

_But know, that with your friends,_

_Your adventures never end!_

_Yeah, deep inside, you know you're strong,_

_If you follow your heart, you can't go wrong!_

_Stand up! For all that is right,_

_Be brave! Prepare to fight for the light,_

_Hold on! We're friends for life,_

_And if we come together as one,_

_To claim what's ours, to right what's done,_

_Hand in hand, we will stay strong,_

_Complete the quest that we've begun,_

_We will win the battle,_

_Our lifelong battle!_

_Pokémon!_

* * *

**Order of Time**

**Chapter 11:** The Cave

* * *

**Masara Cave**

"Kobold, Razor Leaf!" Ash commanded as Gastrodon ambushed the raven, gecko and avian. Kobold quickly sent a flurry of leaves flying towards the large Pokémon, as Ash used is Aura to enhance the attack, making it deal much more damage to the Gastrodon. Meanwhile Vecier ambushed the sea slug using Acrobatics, which managed to cause it to fall face-first into the floor.

"That was number twenty," Vecier remarked as he peched atop the Gastrodon and replenishing his energy with Roost.

"How I wish I had a healing move," Kobold groaned, panting from the excessive use of his moves. "Whose brilliant idea was it to split up again?"

* * *

In another part of the cavern, Dawn sneezed as she and Yellow were facing against a horde of Zubat.

"I think you caught a cold," Yellow said as he released a large Thundershock, driving away half of the flock.

"Maybe because this cave is so darn long that I have to keep healing you so you can use Thundershock!" Dawn sighed, then looked at the remaining Zubat. "Disarming Wave!" the bluenette exclaimed, releasing a small pulse of energy. Immediately the other half of the horde fell one-by-one, energy sapped away.

"Ah," Dawn cringed, keeling over as she collapsed on the ground.

"Dawn!" Yellow exclaimed, skipping over to his trainer's side.

"That attack really does a number on me," Dawn panted. "Now c'mon, let's keep going," she smiled weakly, shakily standing up. _"I hope the others are faring_ better," the bluenette thought as they continued to trudge along the path.

* * *

"Who are you?" Endre demanded, his eyes narrowing as he saw three cloaked figures holding Aprikorns.

"We're the Grim Reapers Squad, and you're our latest victim," one of the cloaked figures smirked.

"I can beat 'ya!" the pinkette declared, ignniting his fists aflame.

"Oh?" a female voiced called out. "Seems like the boy is underestimating us. Butch, Kid, let's show him what the Grim Reapers will do to foolish kids. Come out, Raticate!"

"Go Nidorina!"

"Let's show 'em, Shuckle!"

Out came a large rat, a blue spiked creature and a small turtle, who all growled bestially, which surprised Endre since all Pokémon can naturally speak.

"Raticate, use Crunch!"

"Nidorina, Poison Sting!"

"Shuckle, show 'em your Headbutt!"

The rodent bared his buckteeth, quickly snapping it towards Endre, who sidestepped and swatted it away with Flaming Iron Fist. He then launched a Draconic Roar through the Poison Stings, burning the toxic inside and landing a direct hit on the Poison Pokémon.

Suddenly, the pinkette was caught off-guard by a Headbutt from the third of the trio, while his partner was overwhelmed by another Crunch attack from the Raticate.

"Ignia!" Endre roared, grabbing the Shuckle's shell and hurling it towards one of the cloaked figures, hitting his head and knocking him unconscious.

"You'll pay for doing that to my Shuckle!" Kid growled, removing his cloak and displaying his large shell-covered body. "Now taste my Turtle Magic: Rapid Spin!" he exclaimed, tucking his head and limbs in the large shell, while spinning on his belly, moving faster and faster until he began to hover in the air. Endre smirked in excitement, feeling a good battle coming up.

In an instant, the rapidly rotating shell zoomed towards the fire mage, who activated his Draconic Roar in hopes to stave off the attack. Unfortunately it did nearly nothing; even with the help of Ignia's Flamethrower, the human missile slammed into Endre, knocking the wind out of the pinkette.

"Endre!" Ignia exclaimed, only to be hit again by the annoying Raticate's Crunch. Endre and Ignia stood back-to-back, panting and covered in bruises as they stared at the four, three of them had burn marks all over them but seemingly unfazed.

"Give up, boy, and we'll make your deaths swift and painless," the woman cackled.

"Tch," the fire mage scowled, wiping dirt off his face. He then muttered a very quiet command, that only his Pokémon could hear. "Ignia, prepare a Flamethrower; on my signal, unleash your strongest, then use Protect."

"What!?" Ignia asked, aghast as he stared at his trainer like he had two heads.

"Alright, I surrender," Endre declared, raising his hands.

"No Endre, don't!" Ignia protested as his trainer closed his eyes.

"Good choice," the blonde grinned evilly, unsheathing a small dagger which she held over the pinkette's head. "Now DIE!" she snarled, bringing it down, but was shocked to see Endre's hand in the way, her blade stuck deeply inside it as it dripped blood. "What the-"

"Ignia, now!" Endre roared as Ignia unleashed a torrent of flames, scorching the three Pokémon and catching the trio off guard.

"NO!" the blonde screamed as she ripped out her dagger and tried to attack again, but instead was met with a force field. "You think you can get away, boy?"

"Good thing I borrowed this from Dawn before we came here," Endre muttered, his smirk widening as he and Ignia were enveloped in a bright blue glow. "Warp Orb!"

* * *

"Ughh, that was the forty-second one!" Ash said exhasperatedly, sitting on a knocked-out Gastrodon as Vecier was using his fifth Roost while Kobold was drinking a Max Elixir. "How many more are there?"

Suddenly, an bright light shone on the chamber and blinded the three heroes. When the light faded there lay a tired Ignia and an unconscious Endre with several injuries.

"Endre! Ignia!" Ash exclaimed, the three approaching the bruised duo, Ash using a part of his cloak to temporarily bandage the pinkette's bloodied hand.

"We were ambushed," Ignia panted as he hun onto Kobold for support, his tailflame slightly low. "Looks like somebody's comin' after us, they seemed to be mercenaries!"

"So that Drowzee guy hired people huh," Ash muttered, then he widened his eyes in worry. "Dawn!"

* * *

**A /N:** And that's a wrap! Next chapter will have more battles, as the three mages fight the three assassins (then again, I'm not so good at battle scenes). Please review, thanks again for those who took their time to review, and you know the rest.

_to be continued..._


	12. The Volt Tackle

"Dawn!"

**《SCREAM》《FLASH》**

_A bluenette girl, looked down on by a cloaked figure as her Pikachu lay on the ground, unmoving. Suddenly, the figure unsheathed a dagger and lunged forward, ready to deal the final blow..._

**《FLASH》**

"Hey Ash, are 'ya alright?" Endre inquired as he, Ignia, Kobold and Vecier looked worried at the aura mage whose sweat was running down his face.

"Dawn's in trouble!" Ash declared, his body glowing a bright blue and speeding off.

"Oi, wait for us!" Kobold exclaimed at the quickly retreating figure, before turning to Endre, Ignia who was cauterising the pinkette's stab wound, and finally his trainer's other Pokémon. "Vecier, you have to catch up to Ash, he may need your help."

"What about you?" Vecier asked with concern.

"I'm gonna stay with Endre and lizard over here, we'll only slow you down," the Treecko stated, while Ignia shouted in protest at the insult. "Now go, Vecier!"

"Alright," the Pidgeotto nodded, before taking flight.

_I have to get to Dawn quickly, or she's doomed!_ Ash thought panickedly, zooming even faster than before, his Ability Speed Boost kicking in. He mentally berated himself for not bringing any of his Pokémon, but he could sense Vecier following him this very moment. Not that it would matter, anyway. He was running so fast, he obviously outsped his Pidgeotto, but currently he couldn't worry about that right now. All that mattered at the moment was Dawn.

_Dawn... please be safe..._

* * *

**A/N:** Yes, humans also have abilities. Nice twist, no? So will Ash be able to reach Dawn in time? Or will the raven fail to protect his comrade? (we _all _know the answer) Now let's start rolling the tape, and get on with the show~!

* * *

_Sometimes it's hard to know,_

_Where you are supposed to go;_

_Where you belong, where you fit in,_

_Where you can bring out the you within!_

_But know, that with your friends,_

_Your adventures never end!_

_Yeah, deep inside, you know you're strong,_

_If you follow your heart, you can't go wrong!_

_Stand up! For all that is right,_

_Be brave! Prepare to fight for the light,_

_Hold on! We're friends for life,_

_And if we come together as one,_

_To claim what's ours, to right what's done,_

_Hand in hand, we will stay strong,_

_Complete the quest that we've begun,_

_We will win the battle,_

_Our lifelong battle!_

_Pokémon!_

* * *

**Order of Time**

**Chapter 12:** The Volt Tackle

* * *

Combat. One aspect of Dawn that leaves much to be desired. Out of all of the members of the guild, Dawn has the least hand-to-hand combat experience, as she is more of a support mage and her only offensive spell takes a big toll on her. The bluenette can be very useful in a team fight, but separate her from other mages and she will be very easy to pick off.

Which leads us to right now.

"Yellow!" Dawn cried out in alarm as the electric rodent got Sucker Punched by a semi-fried Raticate. "Quick, use Thundershock!"

"Take this!" Yellow exclaimed as he sent an electric blast towards the Raticate.

"Take it and use Crunch on the girl!" the blonde woman ordered, making Dawn and Yellow's eyes widen. The large rat gave a crooked smile as he withstood the attack, albeit getting a little more singed as it pounced and prepared to Crunch on the bluenette who froze in place.

"Dawn!" Yellow exclaimed, dashing foward with Quick Attack. _No, no, no, NO! I can't see you like this, not again!_

* * *

**Flashback**

_"Dawn!" a Pichu exclaimed as he watched from inside a cage his trainer get mercilessly beaten up by a group of thugs._

_"Stop resisting, little girl, and give us the Aprikorn holding that Pichu of yours," one of the thugs teased, grabbing the bluenette's chin._

_"Never! Yellow is my Father's last gift to me! You'll never take it away from me!" Dawn valorously retorted, earning her a kick to the gut._

_"Let her go!" Yellow cried out, but couldn't do anything. He felt weak. His trainer was sacrificing everything for him, and he couldn't even protect her..._

_"Maple Kick!" a girl's voice resounded as one of the thugs got attacked by a red blur. Others were hit by a barrage of Embers from a small chick-like Pokémon._

_"Worst Nightmare!" another voice exclaimed as a purple-haired man created illusions of dark ghosts which went into several other thugs, making them clutch their heads and scream in fear._

_"Are you okay, girl?" May asked the younger Dawn, who nodded dumbly as Paul tried to flirt with her as the brunette helped her up._

_"W-who are you?" Dawn stammered while Paul unlocked the cage holding Yellow._

_"We're Trainers, from the Order of Time!" May exclaimed happily._

_"The Order of Time..." Dawn and Yellow muttered._

**End Flashback**

* * *

Ever since then, Dawn and Yellow have been part of the Order. Yellow soon evolved into a Pikachu, and vowed to always protect Dawn, no matter what. Even if it cost him his life.

"FOR DAWN!" he shouted, electricity infusing in his Quick Attack as he stood in between his Trainer and the Raticate.

"Yellow, that's-" Dawn gasped.

"VOLT TACKLE!" the Pikachu declared, running towards the large rat before tackling it with a force of a hundred Tauros and a surge of electricity larger than that of a Raichu's.

"Raticate!" the blonde girl shouted in alarm. As the dust cleared, it showed Raticate clearly unconscious, sparks flittering in and out of existence around it.

"I did it," Yellow whispered before collapsing on the ground, unconscious.

"Yellow!" Dawn exclaimed, but still couldn't move. It was as if she was being restricted. Suddenly, the gravity around her increased tenfold, and she buckled down into the ground. "Wha-"

"Have a taste of my Gravity Magic," the woman sneered. "I should finish you off quickly, but I want you and the rodent to suffer for harming my Raticate."

"No, Yellow," Dawn whimpered as the gravity kept her still.

"Butch may be out of commission for now, but the Grim Reaper Squad will hunt the rest of your friends down, and I, Cassidy Jones, will start with _you_!" the blonde now known as Cassidy roared, the gravity's intensity now twentyfold.

"Aaah!" Dawn screamed as her body felt like it was being squashed by a Golem or a Mamoswine. Yellow meanwhile squirmed around in his slumber, obviously affected too by the gravity mage's spell.

"Sleep!" Cassidy smirked maliciously as she increased the gravity fivefold. This was too much for Dawn as she now lay on the floor, unconscious.

"Ahahah! You won't be able to do anything now!" Cassidy grinned evilly, bringing out a sword as she walked closer to the unconscious bluenette. "Now DIE!" she exclaimed for the second time that day as she brought down a sword, only to feel a sharp pain in her gut as she suddenly was hurled into one of the walls of the cavern, slamming into the wall and slumping into the ground. "What!? Who did that!?" she demanded weakly as her eyes searched the room for the intruder, only to freeze in fear as she locked eyes with a certain raven with a red aura surrounding him.

* * *

Ash was _mad_. He hoped to reach Dawn and Yellow before they got hurt, but it seems he was too late for that. Not only that, but he also sensed the kind of magic their opponent had._ Gravity Magic... what an inhumane thing to use! Dawn.. they better not lay a finger on her!_ However, when he reached the area he realised it was too late.

"Now DIE!" he heard the other girl shout, and immediately his vision, along with his aura, went red. He sped forward and sent the girl flying a very strong punch, making her hit the wall.

"What!? Who did that!?" Cassidy demanded, but it went unheard by the raven as he glared at the blonde with such a dark look, that if looks could kill she would've been stabbed to death a million times over.

"W-who are you?" Cassidy whimpered, feeling the dark red aura creeping around the aura mage in waves. And for the first time since he reached the area, Ash spoke.

**"Your worst nightmare,"** the raven growled darkly.

* * *

**A/N:** And that's a wrap! Now we see a darker side of Ash; yeah, Cassidy is in big trouble now~ Anyway, sorry for the long wait, school, other FanFics and Mobile Legends have all been stalling my development of this chapter. But finally, it's here~! Please review, and non-constructive flames, well you know~

_to be continued..._


	13. The Man with the Turtle Shell

Wha-what is this!? Cassidy thought nervously as she felt the powerful aura of the raven, who was moving slowly towards her.

**"Crimson Aura Mode..."** Ash muttered very softly yet the blonde could hear him loud and clear. The swordsman then stubbornly stood up and grabbed the katana on her back. "Darn kid! I won't be beaten by a stupid brat!"

**"You hurt Endre and Dawn..."** Ash murmured in a low voice, before looking at the blonde with rage and determination in his eyes. **"So I'm gonna beat you up!"**

"As if!" Cassidy roared as she brought her sword in front of her. "Taste the power of my longsword! Silent Dagger Technique: Unseen Thrusts!" Suddenly, the blonde's hands and sword began moving at inhuman speeds, suddenly appearing and disappearing in different locations as Ash tried to dodge the first few hits. Thinking of a new strategy, the raven infused the red Aura into his fists and launched himself into Close Combat, parrying every thrust and even managing to land a few punches on the swordsman.

"Gah! Insolent brat!" Cassidy snarled, hurling throwing knives at the aura mage, who immediately created a shield to cover himself.

**"Crimson Spheres!"** Ash exclaimed, launching several large balls of red Aura at his opponent.

"Silent Dagger: Barrier Wave!" Cassidy retorted, waving her sword in one big 'swoosh', creating a temporary wind barrier that stopped the spheres in their tracks. Quickly, the swordsman pounced forward, intending to end the match with one last attack, but to her surprise her sword was blocked by the raven's hand.

"Seems like you're stronger than I expected, brat," Cassidy smirked, "but it's time to finish this!" she declared.

**"I could say the same thing to you,"** Ash grinned, charging a large ball of crimson Aura as Cassidy infused magic into her blade, making it larger and deadlier. Nearby, a drop of water dropped, marking the beginning of their final attack.

**"Crimson Lockdown!"** "Roaring Ballista!" the two roared in unison, as the incredibly large ball of Aura made contact with the thrown sword, creating a large explosion that sent both battlers flying. As the dust cleared, Cassidy was clearly unconscious, but Ash was able to hang on, albeit breathing heavily. His aura also returned to its bright blue color.

"Ash! Wait up!" the raven heard Vecier call out as the avian finally reached the chamber. "Wait, Dawn and the Pikachu? What happened?" the avian squawked.

"I beat one of the bad guys... but Dawn and Yellow... they're injured; we have... to help ," Ash declared, panting slightly. "You grab Yellow while I carry Dawn; we have to regroup with Endre and the others."

"Right!" Vecier nodded, perching on the rodent and taking off with him in tow. Ash meanwhile slung Dawn over his shoulder, took one last look around the room, and after deciding that the woman would recover the raven left.

* * *

**A/N:** I admit, I think I went a bit overboard with Ash for a moment there, beating Cassidy with a new mode and all; then again, for some reason the protagonists get stronger when their friends are in trouble, so I'm good~ Sorry for the VERY long wait and the mediocre battle scene; I'm not good at writing battles... Anyway the next chapter's finally out! Now that Butch and Cassidy are out, we are left with Kid and this 'Magnus' guy. So let's get on with the show~!

* * *

_Sometimes it's hard to know,_

_Where you are supposed to go;_

_Where you belong, where you fit in,_

_Where you can bring out the you within!_

_But know, that with your friends,_

_Your adventures never end!_

_Yeah, deep inside, you know you're strong,_

_If you follow your heart, you can't go wrong!_

_Stand up! For all that is right,_

_Be brave! Prepare to fight for the light,_

_Hold on! We're friends for life,_

_And if we come together as one,_

_To claim what's ours, to right what's done,_

_Hand in hand, we will stay strong,_

_Complete the quest that we've begun,_

_We will win the battle,_

_Our lifelong battle!_

_Pokémon!_

* * *

**Order of Time**

**Chapter 13:** The Man with the Turtle Shell

* * *

"Yo Ash! How's Dawn and Yellow?" Endre exclaimed as the raven and avian returned, along with an unconscious brunette and rodent.

"They overexerted themselves and just need some rest; luckily I came in before that blade girl did anything worse," Ash explained, and as he lay the bluenette down on the floor, her eyes slowly fluttered open.

"A-Ash? Endre?" Dawn murmured, then suddenly sat up. "C-Cassidy! D-did you-"

"Don't worry, I kicked her ass for 'ya," Ash reassured, motioning for her to lie back down.

"So that's two down and one to go," Ignia deduced, to which Ash nodded.

"I couldn't beat her," she said, looking to the side, while the raven looked at Dawn in disbelief. "I'm sorry, it's my fault I'm weak-"

"Shut up!" Ash shouted, making the bluenette (and even the others) flinch. "You are a powerful supporter mage who does better in team fights, if anything it's our fault we didn't remember that fact! Plus you are our senior and we look up to you, Dawn, so don't you dare call yourself weak, 'cause what would that make us?" he declared, which although seemed harsh made the bluenette smile.

"Thank you, Ash," Dawn beamed, before suddenly losing consciousness and falling limp.

"Dawn!" Endre exclaimed as he motioned forward, however Ash stopped him with his hand.

"Don't worry, she's just tired," Ash grinned. "Let's rest for a while, then we'll go destroy those crooks!"

* * *

"Are 'ya sure we should bring Dawn with us? She needs more rest," Endre asked, glancing at the panting bluenette and Pikachu who were struggling to stand straight.

"No need to worry, I'm okay," Dawn replied, flashing a v-sign with her hands.

"You're not," the pinkette stated bluntly, making Dawn cringe a little. "Don't lie to us, we worry about 'ya."

"It's okay Endre, she'll be fine," Ash reassured. "Plus, we can't exactly leave her behind, can we?"

"I'd have no problem with that," Kobold remarked, earning him another bop on the head.

"There's an opening!" Vecier declared, seeing the tunnel widen in the end. The group rushed towards the opening, finding themselves in another chamber, this time with a man and a Pokémon in it.

"So these are the Time pests I've been hearing about, I've been expecting... more," Magnus smirked, seeing their shock expressions turn into apprehensive ones. "Have you come to ruin our plans for this place? I hope not, for what I'm doing is quite important business."

"So you're the guy with the Drowzee!" Dawn pointed acussingly, seeing the said Pokémon behind the man making the man chuckle.

"Indeed I am, however I prefer to be called Magnus," he declared, head lowering in a mock bow.

"Give us back Azure's brother!" Endre growled angrily, igniting his fists and jumping towards the man, only to be blocked by a quickly rotating shell from an all-too-familiar quasi tortoise as Magnus began to retreat. "Not you again!"

"Time for round two, pinky!" Kid growled angrily, his Shuckle nodding silently.

"Ash, go on ahead! Me and Dawn can easily handle turtle guy over here," the pinkette grinned, pointing to himself and a standing Dawn as he ducked under a large Mud Shot from Kid's Shuckle.

"Are you sure?" the raven asked in worry. Upon seeing their determined faces he nodded and motioned for Kobold and Vecier to follow. "Just be careful, guys, and stay safe," he whispered as he ran into one of the tunnels.

* * *

"Now that I'm sure that 'Magnus' guy won't get away, let's do this!" Endre grinned madly, igniting his fists as Ignia followed suit.

"Don't count me out!" Yellow declared as he ran towards the two, cheeks crackling.

"I'll start healing our wounds," Dawn declared, placing her hands on the floor as a green light began to envelop her and the others.

"Thanks Dawn!" the pinkette exclaimed, flashing a grin before turning back to their opponent. "Now to kick turtle man's ass!"

"You think you can beat me?" Kid asked, an large smirk on his face. "I'm way stronger than the the three of you combined, pinky!"

"Since you called me pinky I'm definitely gonna beat you now!" the fire mage roared as he began to run, the turtle man following suit with his Shuckle on his head.

"Dragon Talons!" Endre exclaimed, repeatedly slashing his opponent's shell with his fire-infused claws.

"Ha! 'Ya think that will stop me? My shell is fireproof!" Kid teased, before retreating into his large shell. He then began to spin rapidly, while his Shuckle launched a barrage of Mud Shots, creating a counter shield which forced the three to move back.

"Agh!" Endre growled in irritation as he got hit in the face by a large mudball when he tried to move in closer. "I guess I can't go melee anymore," he noted.

"Then how about hitting from afar?" Ignia suggested then unleashed a stream of flames in the general latitude Endre was slashing at in hopes that the shell will weaken, Yellow doing the same thing with Thundershock. However the spinning motion caused the elemental attacks to be deflected. "We can't get any closer, and our long-range attacks will just bounce off!" the Charmander declared with disdain.

"How about up?" Dawn suggested as Endre tried jumping as high as he can, which unfortunately for him was higher than the ceiling. "Yeah, not up," he grinned sheepishly, rubbing his head which now had a bump on it.

"Ahahahah! What losers you are, especially pinky!" Kid taunted, making the three gain tickmarks while Dawn sweatdropped. Suddenly, a light bulb appeared above her head as she thought of a plan. "Hey Endre, Kid spins as a self-defense, right? What if we can make his defense a weakness?"

"Hmmm? AHH! Yeah, that could work!" the pinkette exclaimed, his fist slamming into his open palm as his smile grew. "Ignia! Yellow! Follow my lead! Draconic Roar!" he ordered, hitting the side of the shell with his breath attack.

"Oh, I get it too!" Ignia and Yellow declared (in unison, creepy) as they unleashed their Flamethrower and Thundershock at the same area.

"Ha! You idiots can't even hit a bull's eye!" Kid laughed, however the laugh soon faded as the spinning man began rotating faster and faster.

"It's working!" Dawn stated as they saw the Shuckle go hurtling away from the centrifugal force.

"Uggghh, so dizzy..." Kid groaned as he continued to spin rapidly, unable to stop for Endre, Ignia and Yellow kept up their attacks. Eventually they let up and the turtle man collapsed on the floor, swirls in his eyes.

"Alright!" the pinkette cheered as everyone pumped their fists up in victory.

"Now that that's over, let's catch up with Ash," Dawn declared, pointing to the path the raven took. They began to march towards the tunnel, but stopped when they saw Endre looking somewhere else.

"You guys go on ahead, I'll follow," the fire mage declared. "I hear something o'er there, I'm gonna check it out," he explained before running off, much to Dawn's annoyance.

* * *

Meanwhile with Ash and his Pokémon, they finally reached the end of the tunnel, which was a small chamber with lots of rocks. However they were shocked to see the lack of a certain person inside.

"He's gone!" the aura mage cried out.

* * *

**A/N:** And that's the end of this short arc (which I honestly couldn't continue for lack of inspiration). On the plus side, this is my longest chapter ever~! Sorry for the long wait as I was working on some Fairy Tail fanfics I plan on posting soon... Anyway please review, and you know the rest~

_to be continued..._


	14. The Search for Teal

"So he's gone..." Endre growled, obviously dissatisfied with the disappearance of this 'Magnus' person who led the operation.

"At least we caught the other bad guys," Dawn remarked, motioning to the Grim Reapers Squad who were angrily staring at the three, tied by a thick piece of rope.

"You twits! We'l get you for this one day!" Cassidy snarled, thrashing about in the tight space much to her teammates' discomfort.

"Geez, this is turning out to be quite anticlimactic..." Kobold groaned, placing his hands beyond his back.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY!?" the three bandits shouted in unison, tick marks on all of their heads at the lizard's comment.

"See what I put up with everyday..." the bluenette muttered, pouting as she thought of all the times the Treecko teased, annoyed or jabbed at her.

"So anyway..." Ash tried to say but was interrupted by a yell.

"Wooohooo!" Yellow exclaimed as he and a terrified Ignia rode on a mineshaft along a very high (and unsafe) track.

"YELLOW! GET BACK HERE!" Dawn panicked, chasing the crazy electric rodent.

"Anyway..." the raven began again, but was left unheard again as the Grim Reapers Squad began chasing a laughing Kobold on Vecier's back by moving their legs in unison. _Wait, so why don't they- ehh, why do I even bother?_

"GUYS!" Ash finally shouted, making everyone freeze (even the minecart, somehow) and look at the aura mage. "I know we apprehended the bandits behind this, but where's Azure's brother?"

...

...

Suddenly everyone fell to the ground comically.

* * *

**A/N:** AHAHAHAH! So I said the arc has already ended, well I kinda meant the serious part. This one is just for laughs! Enjoy the rest of this comedic chapter as the gang begins searching for the _real_ objective of the mission!

* * *

_Sometimes it's hard to know,_

_Where you are supposed to go;_

_Where you belong, where you fit in,_

_Where you can bring out the you within!_

_But know, that with your friends,_

_Your adventures never end!_

_Yeah, deep inside, you know you're strong,_

_If you follow your heart, you can't go wrong!_

_Stand up! For all that is right,_

_Be brave! Prepare to fight for the light,_

_Hold on! We're friends for life,_

_And if we come together as one,_

_To claim what's ours, to right what's done,_

_Hand in hand, we will stay strong,_

_Complete the quest that we've begun,_

_We will win the battle,_

_Our lifelong battle!_

_Pokémon!_

* * *

**Order of Time**

**Chapter 14:** The Search for Teal

* * *

**Deep Masara Cave**

"Teal? Where are you?" Dawn shouted, hands on her mouth as she looked around for the young child. The group learned of the name after they asked the Grim Reapers Squad about it. Well, they didn't actually want to answer, but one of them, Biff, was it? accidentally spilled the beans while trashtalking.

"I don't think he can hear you, per se," Kobold remarked, placing another tick mark on his companion's head.

"Can you zip it? And why are _you_ even here?" the bluenette accused, pointing to the mischevious Treecko, who shrugged.

"Well, according to what I remember," he began as a chibi representation of the events retold appeared, "we were all together when you suddenly turned away. Of course I, being the super responsible Pokémon I am, followed you bravely and without hesitation... then you tripped on a rock and the two of us fell into a hole."

"...Why am I even more annoyed with you now?" Dawn deadpanned.

* * *

"Dawn! Kobold! Where are 'ya!?" Endre called out as the raven and pinkette walked through the tunnel their friends disappeared into.

"They couldn't have gone far, so where are they?" Yellow inquired as he rode on Vecier's back.

"Knowing Kobold, I'm guessing he annoyed Dawn enough that she began chasing him around," the avian commented dryly. Everyone sweatdropped as they imagined such situation, which (sadly) was _very_ likely.

"I think we need to split up to cover more ground," Ash declared, turning to his comrades...

...Only to fall into a large hole.

"ASH!" the group shouted in alarm, before the ground below Endre and Ignia suddenly gave way, making the two fall down too.

"ENDRE! IGNIA!" the Pikachu and Pidgeotto exclaimed as the voices of their companions slowly faded.

* * *

"Oww, that hurt..." Ash muttered, rubbing his head as he created a glowing ball of aura to get a better view of his surroundings. _Apparently the cave has a basement,_ the raven thought dryly, watching a few Sandshrew scurry about.

"OOF!" the raven quickly turned around to see Ignia clatter to the ground behind him.

"Ignia?" he exclaimed in surprise.

"The one and only," said fire lizard murmured, looking around. His eyes then widened as he noticed something was off. "Hey, Endre's not here!"

"He fell down with you?" Ash inquired, to which Ignia nodded. "Strange," he remarked. "Well there's only one thing we can do now, move an hope we can find our way out..."

* * *

"_YOU_!" the pinkette accused, pointing a finger at the Grim Reapers Squad, who were doing the same thing while still being tied-up. "What are you guys doin' here?"

"Well for your information," Cassidy sassed as another chibi representation of events appeared. "Me and my team were hatching this masterful plan to escape, and were about to succeed if not for this huge hole that appeared out of nowhere! And our Aprikorns were left behind, so we still have to find our Pokémon!"

"So stay out of our way and you won't get hurt," Kid declared menacingly, which would've been more effective if not for the rope binding the trio together.

"_I_ stay out of your way? Don't make me laugh," Endre scoffed at the tied-up crooks, smirking a little when tick marks appeared on their foreheads.

"YOU WANNA GO AT IT, PUNK!?" Kid shouted angrily.

"BRING IT ON, TURTLE MAN!" the fire mage roared back, his fists catching flames.

However their shouting caused several more roars to resound through the cavern, making the four stiffen.

"W-What do 'ya think of a truce?" Endre stammered, slightly paling.

"Y-Yeah," the Grim Reaper Squad squeaked out as the four began skedaddling away.

* * *

"Geez Dawn, you're a lot heavier than I thought," Kobold remarked as he tightly held a rope holding a flailing Dawn, sweat falling from his face.

"I am not! Now don't you let go!" the bluenette cried out as she desperately clung on to a rope like it was her lifeline.

Well it _was_, seeing as she was currently twenty feet above ground without any leverage to place her hands nor feet on. After a while, the two lay on the ground, panting in exhaustion.

"Okay... now that we're on a higher level... we should focus on finding Teal," Dawn said tiredly.

"And hopefully I don't have to carry your big butt again..." Kobold muttered, much to his companion's disdain.

* * *

"So the path splits into left or right..." Ash muttered, entering into a thinking pose along with Ignia.

"I say we go right," the fire lizard suggested, to which the raven agreed with. As they were walking Ash couldn't help but ask about a few things.

"So Ignia, how long were you and Endre a team?" he inquired.

"That blockhead? Hmmm... I'd say since the day I was born," Ignia replied. "Endre hatched me from an egg, and raised me along with his brother."

"Endre has a brother?!" Ash exclaimed in surprise.

"Yes, his name was Zeref," the Charmander replied, placing his hands behind his back in a similar fashion to his trainer. "They were raised by the Charizard Clan of the Valleys because their parents died in an accident and nobody wanted to accept them. They were inseperable, both learned Draconic magic and always spent time together. I was actually the son of the chief, Igneel!" Ignia boasted, puffing his chest out a bit, but then continued his explanation. "But then, poachers invaded the area and we were forced to run. Zeref stayed behind to help the other Charizards, and we haven't heard of him since. Since then Endre has been searching for his brother, and training so that he will be strong enough to fight by his side."

"Wow, that's pretty valiant of him," Ash remarked as the two continued to trudge down the path they were on. "No wonder he accepted this job out of the blue; he doesn't want Azure to suffer the loss of a family member like him! But still he can be pretty rash at times..."

"That's Endre for 'ya!" Ignia winked. The two shared a collective chuckle before continuing along the path they were on.

* * *

Endre sighed. What crazy turn of events made way for _this_ to happen?

Currently he and Cassidy were sneaking past a colossal Aggron that they really didn't want to wake up.

_What's an Aggron even doin' in this cave!? _he thought exhasperatedly._ Y'know, I don't even wanna know..._

"EEK!" The fire mage jumped when he heard a high-pitched squeal, only for a tick mark to appear on his head as he discovered it was his companion who made the sound.

"Quiet down, will 'ya!? Do you want to die?" he whispered, which sounded like a growl.

"S-s-spider!" Cassidy stuttered as she was frozen in fear by a crawling Spinarak, which caught in flames making it run away in panic.

"There, happy now?" Endre deadpanned. "Geez, for a mercenary guild you're such a scaredycat..."

In the times they were together, the pinkette had managed to learn a few things about the crooks. Apparently they were part of a mercenary guild called Sliph Rockets, which was situated in Celadon City (how they got accreditation is a big mystery in itself). This 'Magnus' guy had hired them to prevent any interruptions by any means necessary. But since their contractor had fled, they didn't have to follow his orders anymore. Which, coupled with the fact they split so the others could get their Aprikorns means they weren't gonna be a hindrance. _For now..._

"Excuse me, I'll have you know I'm one of the top members of our guild!" the blonde retorted, hissing. "At least better than that Jessie bitch with her annoyingly pink hair..."

"Oi! I'm right here, 'ya know!" Endre shouted loudly, before the two realised their mistake and paled, turning around...

...face-to-face with a very angry Aggron.

"AYIEEEEEEE!"

* * *

"KYAAAAAA!" Dawn screamed as she ran away from a horde of Golbat.

"Wow Dawn, I didn't know 'ya could use Screech!" the green lizard joked as he sat on the bluenette's shoulder.

"Now's not the time for this, Kobold!" Dawn shouted as she dove into a small hole as the myriad of bats stampeded past them.

"I think we're safe now," she muttered, sighing in relief as she sat down.

"I think we're safe now," another set of voices muttered, making the two freeze up.

"Who's there!?" the bluenette cried out, pointing to the direction of the voice which said the exact same thing. Suddenly a small blue ball of light flickered into light, and Dawn and Kobold's eyes widened in surprise. "Ash!"

"Dawn! Great to see 'ya!" the raven exclaimed happily, Ignia nodding behind him. He then approached the bluenette and hugged her, much to her embarrassment. "We were worried about you, when you and Kobold suddenly took off," he declared.

"Y-yeah, sorry about that," Dawn stammered, her face now a bright pink.

"So where's Endre and the others?" Kobold inquired to his trainer, who adopted a thinking pose.

"Well, we kinda fell into a hole, so we have no idea where they are right now," Ash said sheepishly, scratching the back of his head as the bluenette and green lizard sweatdropped.

"I fell into another hole along with Endre, but we haven't seen him while we were exploring," Ignia added.

"I guess this cavern is filled with holes, huh?" Dawn murmured. "I mean we might even unknowingly be walking into one, but that won't happen right?"

And then the floor below them gave way.

"You jinxed us!" her companions shouted accusingly.

"I'm sorry!" the bluenette apologised screaming.

* * *

"KYAAAAA!" Cassidy squealed as she and Endre sprinted away from the crazy Aggron they had angered earlier.

"I swear woman, you're gonna be the death of me!" the pinkette growled as he threw a Brilliant Flame attack to momentarily confuse the rampaging Pokémon. "There, it's distracted, let's run as fast as we can!"

The two continued running through the tunnel, encouraged by the sounds of roaring coming from behind them. Too bad they were running too fast that they didn't see the large hole right ahead of them.

"NOT AGAIN!" the two exclaimed as they fell into the deep abyss.

* * *

**A/N:** Cliffhanger Time! Yeah this was becoming too long, so I had to cut it. Turns out comedy was my way to get inspiration, and now I have a good idea for a new plotline~! Anyway please review, and you know the rest~

_to be continued..._


	15. The Portal

"Teal!" Azure exclaimed, crying as he enveloped his brother in a bone-crushing hug.

"Azure... can't... breathe..." the older bluenette groaned as his borther suddenly released him.

"Oh I'm so sorry!" his brother panicked as he began patting Teal on his back.

"I love happy endings," Diggie exclaimed loudly, anime tears falling from his face.

"Me TOO, but I don't CRY!" Surge declared, while slowly but surely, streams of water came gushing from his eyes.

"Of course you don't..." Max deadpanned as he sweatdropped at the large man's attempt at seriousness.

"So where are Dawn and the rest of you guys?" May inquired Yellow and Vecier, the two who brought Azure's brother back to him.

"I dunno, last time I saw them they fell into a hole," the Pikachu replied, worry clear in his eyes. _I wonder if the same thing happened to Dawn, he thought._

"Then we should go find them!" Max exclaimed, only to be hit in the head by his sister.

"_We_ will go find them, while _you_ stay here," May declared sternly, ignoring her brother's protests in favor of finding Pyra and dragging Paul from flirting with a female guildmember.

"Hey!" the illusion mage exclaimed in annoyance, but quieted down when he saw the look on the brunette's face. Scary!

"Alright, now that we're all set, lead us to where you last saw Ash and the others," May ordered the two Pokémon, who both nodded and raced back to Masara.

_Don't worry guys, here we come!_

* * *

**A/N:** Merry New Year~! In celebration of the new decade I finally got the drive to finish the newest chapter of OoT! Sorry for the long delay, I just really lost the motivation to write this story, for I was preparing other stories I will soon publish (cough cough Fairy Tail cough)... Anyway on to the show~!

**KakeruPB: **Ahahah yes, poor Dawn~! And yeah, I decided to give Pikachu to Dawn, since I planned Treecko for Ash and I still wanted Pikachu to be in the story~

* * *

_Sometimes it's hard to know,_

_Where you are supposed to go;_

_Where you belong, where you fit in,_

_Where you can bring out the you within!_

_But know, that with your friends,_

_Your adventures never end!_

_Yeah, deep inside, you know you're strong,_

_If you follow your heart, you can't go wrong!_

_Stand up! For all that is right,_

_Be brave! Prepare to fight for the light,_

_Hold on! We're friends for life,_

_And if we come together as one,_

_To claim what's ours, to right what's done,_

_Hand in hand, we will stay strong,_

_Complete the quest that we've begun,_

_We will win the battle,_

_Our lifelong battle!_

_Pokémon!_

* * *

**Order of Time**

**Chapter 15:** The Portal

* * *

"Uggh, whrr'm a?" Dawn groaned, words distorted as she sat up. She found herself in a large chamber, the hole they came from nowhere to be found as all she could see is rocks. A few stone structures were seen in one side, while several openings in the wall littered the other side. Looking at a nearby pool of water, she saw dust covering her face and hair, making them look a dull grey. Which she noticed because her eyes suddenly snapped open.

"My hair!" she squealed, catching the attention of five others.

"Mmm, what's up, Dawn?" Endre murmured as the others came to, only to sweatdrop as Dawn aimlessly tried to fix her blue locks. _Really?_ they deadpanned. Well, most of them did.

"KYAAAAA!" Cassidy squealed as she saw her head in her reflection, which was as haggard as Dawn's. Immediately she splashed water on her face and began fixing her hair.

"Girls are so weird," Kobold muttered, the others nodding as the others watched the two submerge their heads in the water, trying to clear the clumps of dirt that stuck to their locks.

_Then again, it would be nice to take a dip in the blue water,_ Ash thought, but then his eyes narrowed. _Wait a minute..._

"Guys, where are we, exactly?" the aura mage exclaimed, making everyone turn to look at him like he was crazy.

"We're in this awesome-looking chamber, isn't it obvious?" Kobold inquired, while the raven shook his head.

"We're underground; we shouldn't even be able to see the water!" Ash declared.

Everyone's eyes widened at the realisation, and began looking around for a light source.

"Over there!" Ignia shouted, pointing to a tunnel with what seems like greenish-blue light coming from it. "Looks like something is inside that tunnel.

"So creepy!" Dawn squeaked as she hid behind Cassidy, who just scoffed.

"What's so scary about a little light? You're such a wimp," the blonde sneered, but then jumped in fright when a growl came from within one of the other caverns.

"It seems like there is something else out there," Ash muttered, while the bluenette glared at a flustered Cassidy.

"What was that about being a wimp?" Dawn asked dryly, while the blonde looked away with a red tint in her cheeks.

"We should get moving; if we stay here for any longer who knows what creatures may come to get us," the aura mage declared, looking around warily.

"Alright! I'm all fired up!" Endre exclaimed, racing towards the illuminated tunnel.

"Hey! Don't just go running without us!" Dawn shouted to the pinkette, who showed no signs of stopping.

"Last one in is a splashing Magikarp!" Kobold declared merrily, racing after the fire wizard.

"Oi!" Ash and Cassidy exclaimed as they followed the two, with Dawn bringing up the rear.

"Seriously, these idiots will get themselves killed one day," Ignia sighed, running after the bluenette.

* * *

**Masara Cave**

"Here we are! Masara Cave," May declared as the group of five stood by the entrance of the cavern, with a certain boy closely following in the bushes five feet behind them.

"The hardest dungeon in this part of Kanto," Paul muttered, sighing as he remembered his traumatic experience when he entered for the first time._ It was also the last time I saw my Pokémon..._ he thought sadly.

"Hey Paul, are you alright?" May inquired, looking at her purple-haired companion in concern.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," the illusion mage replied, however he became lost in thought once more as he smiled. _After that mission, I couldn't take hard tasks alone. Then one day May came..._

**_Flashback_**

_"Let's go on a mission together!"_

_"Ehh?!" Paul exclaimed in shock, looking at the brunette like she told him to jump off a building. He was known to be quite rude around girls, yet here May was, talking to him so casually one would assume they know each other, which (and is quite embarassing, since they've been in the same guild for a while now) they don't._

_"Of all of the people in the guild I have yet to go with you, so let's go on one!" she smiled, showing him a pamphlet of the said mission:_

_'Monster extermination: help me set up traps for the beasts! Reward: 15 000 Poké'_

_No wonder, Paul deadpanned as he realised exactly why he was needed. "You want me to set up illusions, don't 'ya?" he commented dryly._

_"Yep! Now let's go!" May replied cheerfully, dragging the illusion mage and making him sweatdrop. Just what have I gotten myself into..._

**End Flashback**

Ever since then, the two have become a team and though the illusion mage keeps spending time with other gir- er, people in the guild, he is always ready to help May whenever he can, and vice versa. Which brings us to now.

"Paul? Paul! OI, SAY SOMEHTING PAUL!" the brunette snapped, making him snap out of his trance in favour of shivering in fear. "Good, you're awake! Now let's get going!"

"I feel sorry for the guy," Vecier remarked as May dragged her teammate into the cave.

"You have no idea," Yellow replied as the two ran after the two, unknowing of Max following them secretly.

* * *

"Whoa, what is this?" Endre exclaimed as the others have finally caught up with him.

"It's a large gem!" Dawn and Cassidy exclaimed in wonder (and surprisingly, unison) as she stared at the beautiful piece of crystal.

"Isn't that obvious?" Kobold taunted, making a tick mark appear on both ladies' heads.

Ash meanwhile ignored the others as he observed the strange gem. It was a beautiful green color, with blue glowing from inside it. It also seemed to be shaped like an Abra, and had this strange feel to it, like it was bending the space around it.

"What is something like this doing deep inside a cave?" Ignia inquired. "It's clearly sculpted by human hands..."

Cassidy, meanwhile had other ideas. _If I can grab that statue and take it to the Boss, I may get promoted! And show that Jessie bitch who's the better girl!_

"You do know you're talkin' aloud, right?" Kobold stated as everyone deadpanned at the blonde, who suddenly became flustered.

"Anyway, let's see what this thing can do," Ash declared, sending a pulse of Aura to identify the strange statue, only for his eyes to widen as the statue began emitting a purple light.

"What's happening?" Dawn asked, suddenly alarmed as the room began to distort.

"I don't know!" the raven responded as he looked around frantically, watching the others do the same. Aiming to stop whatever is happening, he sent more Aura into the crystal formation. In response, the statue glowed even brighter, consuming everything in the ethereal light.

Peering into the room once more, one would notice the lack of any sound, nor of any living being. Only the crystal Abra remained, now a bright purple.

* * *

**A/N:** And chapter finished! To be honest, I'm beginning to get writer's block, and updates may take longer... Anyway, as another change for the new decade, I'll be writing fanfictions about Fairy Tail, as I've been planning to do for a while now~ Please review, and you know the rest.

_to be continued..._


End file.
